Nogareru: Break Away
by Otaku1811
Summary: AU. KagomexInuyasha. In the throws of an ongoing war between taijiya and youkai, a few step forward to try ending the hate and bloodshed. Can Kagome and Inuyasha overcome centuries of hatred by uniting humans and youkai and bringing peace at last? R&R!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I may own a super kawaii Inuyasha plushy that gets molested everyday, but I do not own the rights to him in any way. So if you sue me, good for you, but you won't get MY Inuyasha too! Kukukuku!

**AN:** Okay so this fanfic has been up on for about five years now, I dunno it's been a while but I started writing this when I was in 10th grade, and soon I will be a junior in college so this story, as one might expect, needs some clean up work. My writing style has changed a lot over the years (I hope lol) and so I feel I should re-write the whole thing, not from scratch, but I want to fix things up and add more detail. So if any of you who had read this ages ago even remember it, it's going to be better than it was before and I am going to finish it. Yes, you heard right. The end is near! Muahahaha. Ahem, so, for those of you who are new to this story, it's an AU fic, it takes place in Inuyasha's rightful era, however the characters all have very different roles, Kagome does not come from the future, ect. ect. This prologue has been revised to fit my new and improved writing style. So with that said, please read on and leave me some reviews, every writer needs some appreciation for their work! hehe

**Japanese Translations:** These are words that will be used throughout the story, so learn them well (if you don't already know them), since this is the only chapter they'll be posted in.

Sengoku Jidai- Warring states era of Japan lasting from the 1500s to 1700s.  
Nogareru- Break away.  
Saizen- Best.  
Edo- The place in Japan currently known as Tokyo.  
Taijiya- A name for those who hunt demons.  
Kimono/Obi/Hakama/Haori- Japanese clothing.  
Ohayou- Good morning.  
Ano- Um/uhh.  
Nee-chan- Sister.  
Konnichiwa- Hello.  
Miko- Priestess/shrine maiden.  
Youkai- Demon.  
Hanyou- Half-Demon.  
Sokubaku- Bond.  
Kinryoku- Sanctuary.  
Hai- Yes.  
Inu- Dog.  
Neko- Cat.  
Mou- Geez.  
Futon- Bedding that can be rolled up for easy storage.  
Gomen (nasai)- I'm sorry.  
Arigatou (gozaimasu)- Thank you.  
Nani?- What?  
Demo- But.  
Honto (ni)?- Really?  
Osuwari- Sit (used for dogs only).  
Todomaru- Stay.  
Keh- Feh.  
Baka- Idiot.  
Kui- Japanese sound effect in Inuyasha volume one of the manga when Kagome feels his cute, furry little ears. Aww!

Inuyasha Plushy: Keh. Will you get on with the story already?

Otaku-Chan n.n: Holy smokes! He spoke! Now I KNOW I overdosed on Doritos!

Inuyasha Plushy: Serves you right, baka.

Otaku-Chan n.n: AHEM! Anyway...promptly 'sits' the arrogant plushy Let's begin the story, shall we? o.o

**Nogareru: Break Away**

By Otaku-Chan

.:.Prologue.:.

During the Sengoku Jidai, Japan was wracked with chaotic upheavals and conflicts as the country struggled to gain unification. During this time youkai also reigned supreme, terrorizing weak and helpless humans, and easily taking out the strongest ones with their myriad of elemental and supernatural powers. It was inevitable that after several centuries of bloodshed between humans and youkai, many human groups came together to form an offense and defense against the onslaught of youkai attacks. From these unifications came five villages full of brave people who, above all else, loathe all youkai and wish only to exterminate them. These people have trained themselves to withstand almost any hardships and face the most terrifying and powerful of youkai. These people are known as youkai taijiya.

Deep in the pristine wilderness near Edo, in Musashi's domain, is where these five villages lay. It is here that Japan's most feared groups of youkai taijiya reside in their own complex societies designed to ensure their livelihoods. The inhabitants of these villages run the gamut from those who slay youkai for sport, to those who feel it is an important duty for the protection of mankind. These people live their lives according to strict rules and morals, which, if broken, lead to serious consequences...

The most well known of these taijiya villages goes by the name of Saizen, because its people are truly the best and most skilled at what they do. As newer technologies become available to the taijiya there, they became capable of hunting youkai as strong as the great Inu Taishou, the deceased inu youkai that staked out his domain in the Western Lands many hundreds of years before the taijiya came to power. Now, youkai that once ruled over weak humans have a reason to fear for their lives. Youkai are also fearful of the intense spiritual force emitted by a guild of powerful mikos that came from all over Japan to reside within Saizen. These mikos specialize in purifying youkai, sealing them, exorcising people from evil spirits, and of course, helping the village people stay fit and healthy after long days of battling youkai. They also play a major role in the governmental aspects of the village, holding a higher status than most.

Over a course of three hundred years, slavery of youkai has been permitted to a certain extent within the village, but only to those of high rank by the youkai hunting standards. Once a taijiya has captured a youkai deemed worthy enough to live as a slave, the mikos are called upon by the head of all the taijiya to perform a sacred ceremony to bond that youkai to their new master. Some high ranking mikos also own their own youkai slaves. Therefore, this binding ceremony has been named Sokubaku. This in turn has led to much turmoil among enslaved youkai whose powers are sealed by strong binding spells cast by the mikos. If any enslaved youkai ever rebel against their master in any way, the laws allow that they be put to death. Several youkai have used this law as a way to escape their slavery, finding that death is far better than being held captive at the whim of humans.

However, three hundred years was a long time for resentment to grow amongst some of the taijiya and mikos. In the past century, after enduring the sadistic slavery and slaughter on youkai, these taijiya and mikos have seen that humans have achieved their revenge and have taken it too far for too long. They saw the need for change. Those people were banned from Saizen and branded as traitors who, if ever caught, would be swiftly executed. These outcasts worked together to form their own village, which became known as Kinryoku, the 'sanctuary' for youkai that have escaped from being hunted. It also serves as a refuge to those who escape from any of the other taijiya villages seeking a place of peace from all of the chaos of constant battles and social struggles. Hanyous, born of human and youkai blood, are also received into this village. They are especially vulnerable to attacks by taijiya because taijiya radicals decree that hanyous are the lowest of life forms and a sin since youkai and humans should not interbreed. Therefore, hanyous are often tortured and executed publicly to set an example to anyone who might acquire feelings for a youkai. Being in Kinryoku is perhaps their only chance for survival...

Yet the plot thickens. Recently, moral and ethical disputes have erupted into acts of violence on all three sides. The taijiya, the youkai, and the neutrals from the 'sanctuary.' It began over an issue of slavery. A high ranked youkai taijiya had captured a hanyou that originally belonged to the inu youkai clan. The head taijiya had decreed that the hanyou be put to death immediately. However, spies sent from Kinryoku often hide among the taijiya villages to learn of any new developments. During that same evening, one of those spies had released the hanyou from its confinement and sneaked it out of dangerous territory and into Kinryoku. Early the next morning, when the rest of the taijiya villagers discovered this, they instantly knew who to blame, and thus a triangular conflict had begun, which ultimately has broken Kinryoku out of its neutrality and set them up to battle against the youkai taijiya villages. And so, the youkai taijiya leader has declared that anyone from Kinryoku is to be executed. Now the spies from Kinryoku realize that they must be extra careful, since their lives are at stake.

It seems a new age of chaos is beginning, and a new war will be waged between the taijiya, youkai, and those of the 'sanctuary'... but can anyone heal the century old wounds of a bloody past and lead youkai and humans to peace?

This is where it all begins...


	2. A Miko's Word

**Disclaimer: **Same as the prologue. I no own, you no sue. Blah, blah, blah, ku, ku, ku.

**AN: **I hope the prologue wasn't too boring for you all, but if you're reading this, you must be interested in the story, so here it is! A totally revised chapter one! And please remember, read and review!

**Nogareru: Break Away**

By Otaku-Chan

Chapter One .:.A Miko's Word.:.

It was a another crisp September morning. A light sheen of dew covered all the vegetation as warm beams of sunlight poured through the canopy of forest trees to speckle the damp, cool earth with warmth and reflect off the tiny droplets of water. The sounds of song birds and a trickling stream greeted the ears of the awakening forest creatures, as well as the inhabitants of Kinryoku, the only village where humans, youkai, and hanyou lived together in peace and acceptance of each other. All was peaceful... except for the loud indignant yells coming from one of the many village huts...

"Mou! Souta! How long are you going to sleep? Today is YOUR turn to wash the clothing! Now get your lazy butt up and get to the wash basin while the water's still warm!" an adolescent girl of the age of about sixteen shouted as she practically dumped her younger brother off of his futon. Her deep chocolate eyes glistened with her annoyance as her sibling continued to whine at her request.

"Aww...Come on! At least give me five more minutes to sleep!" Souta groaned as he pulled the hand knit covers over his head. Then before he could even close his eyes again, his sister sat on him, promptly pushing the air from his lungs.

"HEY! Get offa' me! You're heavy!" Souta squealed as he tried to get up, but finding it impossible with the weight of his sister holding him down.

"This is your punishment for being so lazy," she said as she finally got off his back.

"Fine! I'll do it! Sheesh!" he growled as he got up and stretched. Then he left the small room to gather the weekly load of smelly kimonos and hakamas.

'Hah... What am I going to do with that boy...,' she thought as she proceeded to tidy up his bedding.

"Kagome," called a soft voice, "Come eat your breakfast."

"Hai, Mama. I'll be right there," Kagome replied. She opened her brother's window to let the fresh morning air in and she inhaled deeply, letting it fill her lungs. Quickly finishing up with her bed fixing task, she then headed into the dining area of her rather inadequately sized thatched hut home, old wooden boards squeaking as she went. She sat down at the table and said her thanks for the food, then proceeded to dig in. It was a simple breakfast of rice and miso soup with a small side of fish.

"Ooh! The tea stem floated. I'm sure something lucky is going to happen today!" Kagome's mother exclaimed as she sipped the steamy green tea. Kagome knew her mother was a firm believer in signs, so she took this to be reassuring that this day would be a bit more exciting than others. Her idle thoughts went back to the task at hand as she speared a piece of fish on her chopsticks and gleefully scarfed it down.

"Where's Grandpa this morning?" Kagome asked while casually sipping her soup.

"Oh, he was called by Sumiya-San to help out with our newest arrival. I'm sure you heard that Rin had brought back a hanyou from Saizen last night, right? The story spread like wildfire all through the village, not to mention the hanyou himself stirred up quite a commotion. He's a wild spirit," her mother said, a thoughtful look written on her face.

"Honto ni? I did hear about the hanyou but I had no idea it was Rin who rescued him! How in the seven hells did she get out of a taijiya village with a wild hanyou without being caught?" Kagome asked, surprised by this tid-bit of information.

"Apparently, Rin was in the right place at the right time. The hanyou had just been captured and confined in an iron cage. Angry taijiyas wailed for him to be executed as soon as possible. I know Rin is very sensitive about hanyous being put to death, they couldn't help being born into this world as halflings after all."

"So how did she get him out?" Kagome asked, feeling impatient for her mother to get to the meat of the story.

"Well, since she was in disguise as a taijiya no one noticed her presence amongst the crowd of execution fanatics. She supposedly called out for the hanyou to be executed in the morning since it was already late at night. Luckily everyone, weary from a hard days worth of youkai hunting, agreed to her proposition, not even realizing she wasn't one of them and that it was merely a ploy to buy her some time. So once everyone retired to their homes and the town fell silent with sleep, Rin proceeded to stealthily pick the lock and tell the hanyou she was there to help him. However, getting past the barrier guards with the distrustful hanyou was another story."

Kagome finished the last of her soup and began to eat her rice as she asked, "I'm surprised the hanyou even trusted her enough to let her free him without causing a ruckus. I suppose the instinct for survival can create alliances that way" Kagome said as she mulled over the idea. "So how did she manage to bypass the guards without getting caught?"

"Well, I heard that she unleashed a jar of noxious gases she had collected from several beetle youkai. It knocked the guards out cold!" her mother chuckled.

"That figures... Leave it to Rin to use all the dirty tricks in the book!" Kagome chuckled, "I really envy her. Sometimes I wish I had a more exciting occupation around here. Doing laundry and babysitting my little brother just doesn't cut it," Kagome sighed, an almost depressed look creeping up on her face. "I mean... we are descended from mikos right? You certainly live up to that title... Shouldn't I be learning how to use some of that miko power too? Shoot some arrows? Collect some herbs for god's sake? I know I am old enough to do those things now... if only you'd teach me."

Kagome's mother could sense her daughter's contempt for her simple lifestyle, but it was better than having her get killed in such an unstable world. She had hoped Kagome would be happy to live a carefree life and not have to train as a miko. Besides, Kinryoku had many skilled mikos, youkai, and hanyous that could defend the village and keep things running smoothly. She herself had to live up to her duties as a miko each day keeping the spiritual barrier around the village strong to defend them from attacks by human hating youkai. Not to mention helping take care of wounded youkai and hanyous that wandered in from close encounters that nearly cost them their lives. No, she wanted to shield her daughter from the cruel realities of the destruction and war that plagued the country. Her children were the most precious things to her and they deserved to grow up having peaceful lives. But she knew in her heart she couldn't shield them from the real world forever...

"Kagome... you should be grateful that you don't have to risk your life. Being born of miko blood does not mean you absolutely must live up to that title. I just... I want you to be safe and happy... Think about how grandpa, Souta, and I would feel if we lost you. Our family came to this village seeking out peace and stability. Even though the times are tough, my generation and the generation before mine have seen to it that you and your brother and everyone of your generation can grow up in a peaceful village, free from the hatred and corruption that everyone outside Kinryoku holds in their hearts. You are very lucky to be here." She gave her daughter a concerned look and Kagome's facial expression softened.

"Hai mama... I understand. But, I still wish I could do more to help... you know, taking care of new arrivals... acquainting them to the village at least?" Kagome asked, hopeful her mother would approve. Unfortunately, her mothers stern look and nod from side to side said otherwise. Kagome let loose a small sigh of resignation and proceeded to pick up her dirty dishes and wash them.

"Now that you're done, go check on Souta to make sure he's not slacking off, okay?" her mother asked, smiling sweetly as if that alone could erase her daughters yearning for more complicated tasks.

"Hai, I will," and with that said, Kagome headed off to the 'washing area,' which consisted of a long row of large wooden basins full of water all along the edge of a lazy river that snaked through the village. Each basin was equipped with handmade soap and scrubbing boards, and the river supplied all the water needed to get the job done.

Kagome gingerly tapped on her sandals at the doorway and brushed some lint off of her azure kimono sleeve before stepping out into the fresh air to be greeted by the daylight. She then followed a well worn dirt path that would eventually lead her to her destination, making sure to admire the fresh scent of flowers on her way.

After walking a few minutes past a large rice field, she stopped at the first wash basin, noticing her neko youkai friend, Yume. Kagome gave her a warm smile, reflecting that the two of them had become inseparable friends from the time they were young children. They never knew the hatred that youkai and humans were supposedly wired to have for one another, therefore they spent their childhood days frolicking in the fields making jewelry out of flowers and counting clouds on the breeze.

"Ohayou, Kagome-Chan!" Yume said as she straightened to greet her friend, twirling a long lock of her lustrous orange hair around her forefinger. Her eyes were a deep emerald green and she had a red stripe on each cheek, a long swishing cat tail, and distinctive furry cat ears on top of her head, twitching gleefully at Kagome's arrival. "Looking for your brother, I presume?" she asked with a sweet toothy smile.

"You know me too well. Did he wash the clothes like he was supposed to, or did he go off to play somewhere?" Kagome asked.

"Believe it or not, he did wash them... Did YOU have anything to do with his sudden unusual show of diligence?" Yume asked with a sly grin.

"Does sitting on him count?" Kagome laughed.

"I guess so! You should've seen the little squirt! Anyway, he went to hang the clothes to dry. He's probably still there." Kagome knew exactly of where 'there' was. It is an area of trees that has low hanging branches that is perfect for hanging clothes on to dry. "Either that, or he's chasing Buyo around somewhere," Yume finished.

"Arigatou, Yume-Chan. I'll see you later!" The two waved good bye and Kagome hurried off to supervise her little brother. 'What a life!' she thought wistfully as her sandals shuffled on the soft dirt and grass as she made her way to the trees.

---------------------

Souta was busy hanging up the clothes he had just finished washing, grumbling to himself about his lack of sleep and how the stupid clothes were sopping wet and getting his sleeves wet to boot. However, he was soon snapped out of his disgruntled thought process by the sound of snapping branches coming from a tree somewhere nearby. He tried to ignore the rustling sound of leaves, but curiosity and fear spurred him onward, so he quickly put down the clothes, fought to get up some courage, and decided to check it out. He swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly walked over towards the tree where the sound emanated from, hands growing sweaty from his nervousness. "W-Whoever you are, you better come out! If you're a spy from one of the taijiya villages, I won't hesitate to... to... uh..." Souta began in a shaky voice before he was cut off by a shrill shout from his older sister.

"Souta! Aren't you supposed to be hanging the clothing?" Kagome yelled as she shot him an annoyed glance, suddenly noticing that the said clothing was in a heap on the grass. "Mou! Look at that! You just dropped them onto the ground to get dirty all over again! You really are useless at times!" Kagome sighed, exasperated.

"Shhh! There's someone up in this tree! It could be dangerous..." Souta whispered as motioned a pointing finger up towards the ginkgo tree and turned back to face the direction of the rustling noise. Within the fan shaped leaves he could only see darkness as well as some specks of sunlight that filtered through... and even a bit of... red?

"Don't even try to make up lame excuses to ditch your duties! Now get back there and hang up the clothes, or are you just going to stand there crying over an imaginary person in a tree all day? You know we're going to have to have a sit down later to..." she shouted while pointing a finger towards the laundry that Souta neglected to hang but was abruptly cut off as a huge red blur seemed to fly out of the tree and smash into the ground right at Kagome's feet. Kagome jumped back on reflex, gasping at what she saw sprawled out before her.

"Keh! Why the hell did you have to complete the seal on this damned rosary necklace!" grumbled the 'red blur,' which appeared to be an adolescent boy with long, silvery hair, and piercing golden eyes. However, Kagome wasn't nearly as fascinated with the boy as she was with his cute, irresistibly fuzzy ears...

-Kui Kui Kui-

"What do you think you're doing, miko wench!" the boy shouted as he stood up and brashly pushed the grope-happy girl away. He wiped some specks of dirt from his bright red haori and hakama and shot Kagome a glare that was as sharp as any knife, and almost equally as lethal.

"Eh? How do you know I have miko blood in me?" Kagome asked, looking slightly incredulous, as she looked up at the disgruntled twitchy eared boy. Souta stared at the scene, a bit dumbfounded by the situation. 'Who is this guy?' the siblings thought simultaneously.

"Keh. Don't act like you don't know. You said a sealing word that activates this stupid rosary spell that that bitch put on me when I was captured," he said matter-of-factly, tugging at the large maroon beads that hung around his neck.

'Captured?' Kagome thought when it suddenly struck her. 'Ah! He must be a new arrival from Saizen! Maybe he's he one that Rin rescued...' her thoughts were cut short as her little brother began to speak.

"Ano... Who are you? Er... and also... WHAT are you? Some kind of neko youkai? And can I touch your ears...?" Souta asked as he walked up to the mysterious boy, pointing at those ears that just screamed to be fondled.

"Baka! It's none of your damn business who, or what I am! ...And what is with you people and touching my ears!" he snarled.

"Souta, I think he's the hanyou mother told me about earlier... the one that Rin rescued from Saizen last night. Yeah... that must be him," Kagome said as she pulled her little sibling away from the hanyou. "Why aren't you with Rin? She did risk her life to bring you here to Kinryoku, did she not?" Kagome asked him. She felt it was safe to assume he was the said hanyou, since he appeared to be of the inu type, at least in personality if not looks alone.

"Keh! You mean that crazy wench who screamed for me to be killed by morning then wound up freeing me? I got better things to do than stay with a wretched human," snarled the hanyou, " I simply snuck away from her early this morning when she finally stopped blabbing on and on about nonsense and fell asleep. And just when I finally think I'm free from you disgusting humans, YOU had to go and say THAT damned word!" he shouted as he pointed an accusing finger at Kagome, who was growing seemingly more angry at how he came off with regard to being rescued from certain death, and also his insulting remarks on humans.

"You know," Kagome began, rubbing her temple with her left hand trying to fight off an oncoming headache, "for being half human yourself you really should lay off the nasty remarks towards humans. Not to mention that neither Rin nor I are 'wenches.' And where do you get off ditching a person who saved your life? Do you have ANY idea of what Rin went through to get you out of that village without being impaled with spears and used for youkai bait?" Inuyasha just 'hmphed' as Kagome continued. "I guess not. Fine, just sit there in that tree hating humans all you want!" she yelled when suddenly...

-Thud!-

The hanyou crashed to the ground... again, groaning loudly as he got a face full of dirt.

"Oi! Do that again and I swear I'll kill you!" He yelled as he struggled to get up and regain his composure.

Kagome looked stunned. What did she say that triggered the rosary to smash the hanyou into the ground? She reviewed that last sentence in her head, thinking a word to subdue this ornery hanyou would be useful. Just... sit ... there... in... hmmmm. Sit... yes that sounds like a word that could be used for a inu hanyou. A smile crept up on her face as her lips parted, "Osuwari!"

-Thud!-

'Bingo' she beamed, proud of her intuitive senses.

"Arrgh! That's IT! As soon as I get up you're gonna die!" he growled, digging his claws into the dirt and lifting himself off the ground once more.

"Nee-chan, maybe we should go before he hurts you..." Souta squeaked in a slightly frightened voice. Kagome merely brushed a strand of her long ebony hair behind her ear and walked right up to the hanyou as he stood, a good foot taller than her, glaring at her menacingly as he cracked his blood thirsty fingers.

"Ne, hanyou, what is your name?" She asked, looking him straight in the eyes. He was taken aback by her question, surprised how she was brave enough to face him when he had claws and fangs and she was a helpless human... or perhaps she wasn't so helpless since she obviously had a strong miko aura... He shrugged it off. Either way she was a weak human female compared to him.

"None of your business, wench," and with that said he dusted himself off, turned on his heels, and swiftly began to walk away. "Keh! I'm going back to the forest, and as far away from you disgusting smelly humans as possible." Kagome balled her hands into fists at that last 'smelly' remark, but before she could 'sit' him again for his rudeness a female voice broke through her shroud of anger.

"Inuyasha! There you are! I was looking everywhere for you!" cried a girl of about eighteen with long black hair, which was tied up in a ponytail on the upper right corner of her head, giving her a cute childlike appearance despite her age. Inuyasha glanced at her looking less than enthusiastic that she found him. He also took note that she looked very different from last night. She was wearing a orange and yellow checker patterned kimono with little golden loops dispersed randomly across the fabric and a deep green obi around her waist, not quite as sophisticated looking as her mock taijiya uniform. "Thought you could escape me, did you? You should've at least thanked me for saving your life back there," the girl pouted as she put her hands on her hips to gesture her disappointment. "So, Kagome, you sat the puppy, eh? Tee hee! That was so funny! I almost blew my cover laughing," she said with a broad smile, her honey brown eyes glistening with amusement.

"Rin! I'm so glad you're here! I was about to sit this jerk into oblivion!"

-Thud!-

"ARRRGGGHHH!" Inuyasha howled as he was once again bashed into the earth, it seemed there would forever be an impression of him worn into this spot...

"I think you just did!" Rin laughed as Kagome ran to greet her. "It looks like Inuyasha is bound to you now...," Rin said as she pointed to the rather annoyed looking 'puppy' who glared up at her from his cozy hanyou-shaped hole in the ground.

"W-What do you mean, bound to me?" Kagome asked with an incredulous look on her face, not knowing much about binding spells since her mother's lessons on the subject had long been forgotten.

"Keh. That won't be the case if I simply slice your head off," snorted Inuyasha as he cracked his knuckles, once more getting up from his pancake position.

Souta cringed. This is not good! "Sis! I think the dog guy means business! Even if he is only a hanyou, just look at those sharp claws! I'm going to... get help!" then Souta ran off to get 'help,' which really meant he ran off to hide somewhere. Well, little brothers were not meant to be chivalrous anyway.

"Souta! Grrr... that kid!" Kagome exclaimed while waving her fist. "Get back here! This laundry still has to be hung and I am not the one who's going to do it!"

"Prepare to die, wench!" Inuyasha boomed as he lunged for Kagome, causing small clumps of dirt to go flying up off of the ground due to the force of his leap.

"Kagome, say the word!" Rin cried out.

Then, just before Inuyasha's claws could dig into her flesh, Kagome glared daggers at him and belted out another "Osuwari!"

-Thud!-

"Damn bitch! You'll pay for this!" sounded the muffled voice of Inuyasha, face plastered to the dirt once more.

"Well, I'll leave him to you, Kagome. I think he likes you more than me anyway hehe," Rin smirked as she stepped over Inuyasha's flattened form. "Maybe this is the boost you needed to start training as a miko, ne? You can practice some spells on him when he misbehaves," she chuckled as she started walking back towards her home at the other end of the village.

"Gee, thanks," was Kagome's haughty reply.

-Sigh- 'What did I ever do to deserve this? I don't want this mean jerk who just tried to kill me hanging around...' Kagome thought to herself, 'even if his ears are cute! Hmph!'

"You're a miko, so you better get this damned rosary offa' me if you value your life!" Inuyasha spat as he got right up in her face again.

"Listen! I didn't even put it on you! I have NOTHING to do with you or your stupidity! If you want it off so badly, then why don't you go back to Saizen and ask the miko who put it on you to take it off?" Kagome yelled, really annoyed now and feeling that headache creeping up again. "And I'm sick of you threatening my life! How many times do I have to say that word before you get it through your thick skull that I am not to be messed with? I obviously have the upper hand here!"

"Keh! I can tell you're a weakling, your friend just pointed out that you aren't even a trained miko. And perhaps I didn't think to go back to Saizen to have this rosary taken off because the people in that taijiya village ARE TRYING TO KILL ME! BAKA!" he barked.

"Hmph. Good riddance," Kagome huffed as she turned around and started walking towards the laundry to commence hanging it up, since Souta obviously wasn't coming back anytime soon.

"Keh. Who needs YOU anyway?" and with that, Inuyasha leapt up into the trees and left without another word.

"What was with that guy? You think he'd be HAPPY to be in a village that will accept him for what he is. Honestly... what a baka," Kagome exclaimed to herself, biting her lower lip as she picked up the wet clothing. "And he has the nerve to continually insult me! Rin should have left him in Saizen. It'd serve him right."

Later that evening...

"Mama, I'm back with the daikan radishes you wan... HEY! What is HE doing here!" Kagome roared, dropping the radishes onto the floor as she noticed a certain stubborn hanyou sitting at her dining room table, in her home, playing with her cat Buyo.

"Calm down dear, he only came here because he wants to speak to you about something important... although he didn't tell me what, but I'm sure he has good intentions. Why don't you have some tea with us, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi said in her usual pleasant tone. The golden eyed boy nodded and received a cup of steaming green tea, sniffing it curiously. She smiled, knowing full and well that her guest was the hanyou arrival from Saizen. She mildly wondered how Kagome got in contact with this charming young fellow.

Not wanting to embarrass herself, Kagome picked up the radishes and sat down at the table, glaring daggers at Inuyasha.

"Thank you for the radishes, Kagome. I'll leave you two to talk while I prepare dinner. Oh, Inuyasha, was it? You're welcome to stay for dinner if you'd like. I'm making beef teriyaki with a side of soba and of course pickled daikan radishes."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, then to her mother as if to say 'Are you sure it's all right?' Kagome noted that his eyes showed a tinge of sadness, as if nobody had ever shown him kindness like this before in his entire life. She was sure he never fit in anywhere, not with humans or youkai, because he was both, and yet neither. Her glare died down and was replaced with a look of pity.

"If it's okay... I would be honored," he said in as respectful of a tone he could muster, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.

"I'm glad, you look like you could use a good meal," Mrs. Higurashi said smiling as she took the radishes and headed into the kitchen area of the hut.

Kagome turned to Inuyasha once more. "Okay so tell me, what are you doing here? I thought you said you didn't need me, but from the look on your face, I can guess why you're here. My answer is NO," Kagome said, before the hanyou could even open his mouth to speak.

"Keh. I'm not going anywhere until you take this thing offa me, then I'll leave and you won't have to see me ever again. It's your choice," Inuyasha replied crossing his arms and giving her his trademark death glare.

"Ooh, now I'm really scared," Kagome remarked in a sarcastic tone, leaning her chin on her hands as she propped her elbows firmly on the table.

The two sat there exchanging various glares and looks of contempt for the next five minutes before Kagome huffed and walked to her room, not wanting to see his face for a minute more.

"Keh," he grumbled and proceeded to play with Buyo, amused by how the fat cat jiggled when he made him dance.

After dinner...

"Mmmmm! Your mother sure knows how to cook! I guess humans can be good for something, heh heh!" Inuyasha said as he wiped his mouth with a cloth provided by Kagome's mother.

"Mama that was great!" Souta said gleefully, sitting next to Inuyasha. He had grown aware of his visit an hour before dinner was ready. His initial fear and surprise melted away as he saw the hanyou play with Buyo, so he then decided this guy wasn't so bad after all. He even got to grope his ears and didn't get killed for it!

"Well, I'm going to go to bed, so good night. And as for you, Inuyasha, good bye," Kagome said as she got up and trudged back to her room.

"Please excuse her rude behavior. I think it's that time of the month, if you know what I mean," Mrs. Higurashi said as she began to clear the dinner dishes. Inuyasha gave her a confused look. What time of the month?

"Well, whatever's wrong with her I don't know, but I should be leaving now. Mark my words: I will be back. Until that girl takes this cursed rosary off my neck, I'll keep coming back." Then with a second thought, he remembered his manners. " Ano... thanks for the meal...," Inuyasha said as he exited the hut, waving good bye to Souta, Buyo, and Mrs. Higurashi.

Meanwhile, Kagome was on her comfy futon buried in her covers, thinking about the mysterious, albeit annoying, hanyou she had met that day. What would she do with him following her around all the time begging to have her take the rosary off? 'Bah! I shouldn't waste my thoughts on that wierdo,' she thought, trying to clear him from her mind and let sleep take control. 'He's such a baka... with really nice eyes... and cute ears... and silver hair...' Her brows furrowed at this thought, sure, she'd at least admit to herself he was somewhat handsome, but he was still a jerk. 'Baka baka baka!' her mind screamed, not so much at Inuyasha, but at herself for continually thinking of him. Eventually, however, her restless mind gave up, allowing her to fall into a deep dreamless sleep.

---------------------

"Nee-chan! Neee-chaaan! Please wake up! We gotta get out of here, the hut's on fire!" a choked and terrified voice of her brother Souta called through the haze of her subconscious. He was shaking her desperately with his tiny trembling hands. Kagome slowly opened her eyes, only to feel them sting and tear up from the intense smoke, and her chest heaved as she inhaled a lung full of the foul air, causing a painful burning sensation in her chest and wracking her with violent coughs. This had to have been a nightmare.

"Souta! What's happening?" she stammered as she coughed even harder, snapping out of her sleepy daze into a reality she wished she had never awoken to. The walls of her room quickly blazed to life with leaping flames and she knew their lives were in danger. Instinct took over and Kagome grabbed her brother's hand and helped him climb out of the window, quickly following behind. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw that the village was nearly as bright as the day due to the soaring flames which were enveloping it. Souta hugged her legs and sobbed.

"The taijiya from Saizen must have found out Inuyasha is here... They planned a sneak attack..." Souta wept as he watched the only home he ever knew burn to ashes. The light of the burning embers reflected in his tears. Kagome's heart raced as she tried to comfort her brother and squelch her urge to run as far away as possible.

"Where's mama and grandpa? Are they okay?" Kagome asked in a trembling voice. Her mind was a jumbled mix of panicked thoughts.

"Hai, grandpa got some burns and mama had to help him get to the shelter at Goshinboku. She yelled at me to wake you up and we're supposed to meet them there as soon as possible!" Souta replied sniffling and choking on his tears, taking his sister's hand in his smaller one. They began to run as fast as they could. All around them was chaos. The village mikos were shooting arrow after arrow at taijiya warriors, youkai and hanyous on their side fought valiantly with their powers and strength to keep the invaders at bay long enough for the weaker civilians and children to get to the shelter. Many of the huts were on fire from a barrage of flaming arrows let loose by mikos on the side of the taijiya. It was as though hell had broken loose upon the earth. Heaps of bodies lay sprawled and mangled on the ground from both sides, thick crimson blood soaking into the earth of this once peaceful village.

Kagome felt hot tears form in her eyes and begin to fall, blurring her vision as she ran with her brother in tow. Her throat tightened as she watched the chaos unfold. Innocent villagers were running frantically to the shelter, screaming for their lives or shouting curses at the twisted circumstances they were thrown into. Mothers were carrying their babies close to their chests, trying to shelter them from the gruesome sights of death and destruction. Children screamed and cried in terror as they watched helplessly as some of their friends and family were slain by clashing swords and arrows or stabbed through the gut with spears.

It seemed the warriors and mikos of Kinryoku were ill prepared for such a large battle so late at night. No one saw the first stealthy taijiya breech the tall wooden walls of the village and set loose flaming arrows. No one knew the Saizen mikos had dissolved the barrier that kept the village hidden. It was all too late.

Kagome breathed hard as her leg muscles strained to keep up her fast pace. By now she was carrying Souta on her back because he had fallen, too exhausted to run alongside her. Their only hope now was to reach the ancient tree Goshinboku. For beneath that tree was an intricate underground labyrinth built for such an occasion as this. In there everyone would be safe... at least, she hoped so...

'Mama, grandpa, please be alright! I'm coming!'

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Escape

Disclaimer: Inu Yasha belongs to the great Rumiko Takahashi and a bunch of other people, but sadly, not to me.  
  
Inu Yasha: Who'd WANT to belong to you?  
  
Otaku-Chan ^_~: See what I mean? ^_^;;  
  
AN: Well, I'm neglecting my poor homework to write this next chapter, so I hope you all like it so far. I'd also like to thank those who've reviewed too. Believe it or not, I'm using the regular old word pad to type this up, and all of my other stories too, meaning I have NO spell checker, so I have my trusty dictionary at my side. I'm very picky about typos, so I reread a million times to get rid of them. So, as gratitude for all my hard work, review till yer' blue! lol, Anyway, I definitely like the Sesshy/Rin idea along with Inu Yasha/Kagome, but, they've been done...many, many times before. As this IS my story, I may change some things, perhaps even do a couple nobody has ever written seriously about (Sango/Sesshy?)...Also, Buyo is a youkai in this story, not just an average kitty ^_^. So, here goes. Enjoy!  
  
~~~~~~ - Flashback.  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Two~Escape  
  
"Souta, go get mama and grandpa and get to the shelter quickly! There's no time to waste!" Kagome rasped as another rack of coughs rolled violently through her chest.  
  
Had it been daytime, the sky would probably still appear to be black from all of the hot, nauseating smoke that billowed from the huts that were set on fire by the invading taijiya. Ashes were everywhere in the thick, musty air, almost like a gray flurry of snow, which descended upon everything in its path. Many of Kinryoku's men and women were racing back and forth carrying water in whatever they could, desperately trying to extinguish the flames before the whole village was destroyed by the blaze. They weren't prepared for an attack of this scale.  
  
The children and elderly were all scrambling to get into the underground shelter by the huge, ancient tree in the center of the village. Knowing that the taijiya and human-despising youkai couldn't be trusted in such a war tainted era, the shelter had been built in the case of such a situation. Camouflaged by a large platform-like structure made of dark green, twisted vines, grasses, and shrubbery, five of the village men pulled the strong hemp ropes attached to it, and also attached to a sturdy branch, to lift it away, revealing a pathway that went under the ground by the cavernous roots of the Goshinboku tree. Long, narrow wooden planks extended deep under the earth like a stairway, each one individually tied to the Goshinboku's roots for support. The tree's immense roots provided a stable ceiling as well, while in the heart of the dugout shelter were supplies such as food, medicinal herbs, and water. Another group of able bodied adults helped guide the young and old people down to safety through this route.  
  
Kagome's mother, grandpa, and little brother Souta were among the mob of frightened people, and of course, her precious youkai neko, Buyo.  
  
Amidst the shouts of dismay and chaos, Kagome found herself running to find a bow and some arrows. She would defend her village even at the risk of her own life. She felt she had to, regardless of the pain her family would suffer if she were to die. Then, as she spied the object of her search, she was suddenly knocked back onto her bottom. As she looked upward, she glanced at what appeared to be a miko on horseback, wearing the traditional red and white attire.  
  
"From what my spies have described to me, you appear to be the one who is hiding the hanyou. If you give him to me without a fight, I will spare your life. However, should you wish to dishonor my request, I will not hesitate to shoot you with my arrows."  
  
Kagome swallowed deeply as she stood up to the pale miko with long, jet black hair.  
  
'Great...so the taijiya have stationed spies in our village as well...'  
  
"My patience is thinning, girl. Where is the hanyou?" the miko asked again, a look of pure contempt on her face.  
  
Kagome merely raised her bow and strung an arrow, pulling back until the pressure felt right. Aiming her arrow, she glared at the miko, "Even if I did know where he is, I would never tell a low life like you! I can't stand people who live by their hatred and disregard lives...be it a youkai's, or hanyou's...You have no right to decide their fates!"  
  
A whizzing sound was heard as Kagome released the arrow, however, she soon realized that the miko before her was indeed very powerful. The arrow disintegrated before it could even mar the woman's seemingly perfect flesh.  
  
"Hmph...child's play."  
  
Then the miko strung her own arrow and aimed straight for the foolish girl's heart.  
  
"Kagome, look out!"  
  
The next thing Kagome knew, she was on the ground, covered by a warm body.  
  
"K-Kiroku-Chan...wha..." Kagome stammered as she felt warm liquid drip onto her shoulder...blood?  
  
The frightened young miko glanced down at her youkai friend, seeing the arrow protruding from her back, and realizing whose blood was dripping on her.  
  
"I'm glad...you're safe...Kagome..."  
  
Kagome stared in shock as the miko's arrow began to destroy Kiroku's youkai body. In a matter of seconds, her friend's remains were nothing more than dust.  
  
"How...how could you?!" Kagome screamed as she felt a rage build inside of her. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she stood up and glared at the hateful woman before her.  
  
"These new arrows are merely an example of our most recent technology to rid the earth of youkai filth."  
  
After hearing those words, Kagome lost control of her emotions, and in a fit of rage and sorrow, she quickly picked up her bow, strung another arrow, and let the power wash over her. The arrow glowed with a deadly aura that the miko hadn't expected. As it ripped through the air, the woman tried to defend from it, but it was too late. It ran through her heart, causing her to fall from her horse, and continued going until it pierced a nearby tree. Kagome's heart was beating fast as her chest quickly raised up and down. She could feel her blood boil with an unknown power. Was this the true power of a miko?  
  
'Kiroku-Chan...Why? Why did you sacrifice yourself to save me?'  
  
Kagome fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably. Memories of her best friend flooded her mind as she was now filled with the overwhelming pain of loss.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"Kagome-Chan! Come on! I have to show you this really great place!" an energetic girl called as she raced to the edge of the village. She had long, orange colored hair that she kept up in two high pig tails, pointy ears that signified she was a youkai, as well as a furry tail that was waving around excitedly. Her cheeks each had one red stripe, and, being a neko youkai, she also had very long, sharp claws.  
  
Kagome quickly grabbed a small water bottle and ran to catch up to her exceedingly energetic friend.  
  
"Souta, tell mom I'll be back a little later."  
  
"Hai," replied her younger brother as he went back into their house.  
  
As the two girls finally got caught up to each other, the neko sighed with content.  
  
"Ne, Kiroku-Chan, where exactly is this place?"  
  
The youkai smiled, "You'll see."  
  
As they exited the village, Kagome began to feel a bit apprehensive. What if they were caught off guard by a taijiya, or worse yet, a youkai? Would Kiroku be able to defend her? She tried to shake the thoughts from her mind as she continued walking.  
  
They traveled on a small path through the woods. The sun of the late afternoon was casting small speckles of wavering light on the two as the tree's leaves swayed in a gentle breeze.  
  
Stepping over many shrubs and roots, they finally made it to a clearing. Kagome gasped in awe at the beautiful sight. A magnificent field of wild flowers is what greeted her curious gaze. Purples, yellows, reds, big and small. It certainly was a sight for sore eyes. Something so beautiful in such an ugly, war filled time. The field was surrounded by tall trees on all sides, almost as if they were protecting it.  
  
"Wow! Kiroku-Chan, this place is so beautiful..."  
  
"I knew you'd like it here. Sometimes it's good to escape from our hectic lives and just enjoy the beauty around us, don't you think?"  
  
Kagome's face lit up with a warm smile. She knew she would cherish this place for as long as it existed.  
  
"Arigatou, Kiroku-Chan."  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"Hey, wake up already..."  
  
Kagome slowly opened her eyes, only to see golden eyes staring down at her. She suddenly sat up, realizing that her head was resting in Inu Yasha's warm lap. A small blush spread across her cheeks.  
  
"Where am I?" she asked, feeling disoriented.  
  
"My hideout," was the hanyou's gruff reply.  
  
She looked around and noticed she was in a cave of some sort. The entrance was covered by vines on the outside, making it inconspicuous to any enemies. She could hear the pattering of rain as a gust of cool air came into the cave, causing the small fire there to flicker with brighter shades of blue, orange and yellow.  
  
Kagome suddenly recalled everything that had happened...the raging flames, the strange miko on horseback, and most of all, Kiroku. As a fresh batch of tears began to build in her eyes, Inu Yasha reached out for her, embracing her in his strong arms to console her.  
  
"Shhh...Don't cry, or you'll risk giving this spot away to the taijiya guards roaming about."  
  
Kagome was surprised at how kindly the hanyou was treating her, and it only made her feel worse, because she didn't treat him very well when they first met. How could she have been nice to someone who was constantly threatening her? It was all too confusing.  
  
"Please...let me go," she requested in a quiet, shy voice as she gently pushed away from him.  
  
Inu Yasha looked at the girl closely. She was actually fairly attractive for a human female. Her scent was even pleasing, as he found most humans to reek of body odor, but she smelled like cherry blossoms in the spring. Her smooth, black hair traveled down to the middle of her back, and she had long bangs that came to a point in between her eyes. Yes, her eyes. Right now he could see the turmoil in those deep, grayish-blue pools. He had found her lying on the ground unconscious during the seizing of Kinryoku by the taijiya. Not wanting to leave her there to be killed, he brought her back here. After witnessing her little burst of power, he figured it'd be a good idea to keep her around.  
  
However, he felt a pang of guilt. It was all his fault that this girl's village was destroyed and taken over by the taijiya. All because they wanted him.  
  
Then Kagome's voice snapped him out of his reverie.  
  
"What happened to Kinryoku...my family...are they?"  
  
"The taijiya took over. It's all gone...," he began in a sympathetic voice, "they took all of the villagers that were left alive as slaves. I'm sure your family still lives."  
  
"It's all your fault! And Rin shouldn't have been stupid enough to risk the safety of our village to save a jerk like you!" Kagome cried in a sudden out burst, but quickly covered her mouth with trembling hands. She suddenly felt incredibly guilty for her thoughtless words. Inu Yasha dropped his gaze to the floor, feeling hurt by her words, but knowing they were true.  
  
"Inu Yasha...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you like that, and especially after you saved my life. Forgive me. It's not like me to act this way, but after all that's happened...I guess I'm just a little stressed out."  
  
"You're right. It is my fault. I was stupid enough to get caught by the taijiya in the first place. I suppose I'll have to fix this mess. It's the least I can do to make up for everything that you've been through," he said as he glanced up into Kagome's warm eyes again.  
  
"I guess we should both help each other out...at least until my village and it's people can be saved. Then I'll take the rosary off of you. Do we have a deal?"  
  
"Hai...but if you say that damn word again...," he warned before Kagome cut him off.  
  
"I know, I know! I promise I won't say it."  
  
She was feeling a little better about the whole situation. At least there was a good chance that her family was still alive, and Inu Yasha was actually acting nice. Then again, she didn't really know him. What kind of person was he? She had a feeling she would eventually find out.  
  
"We'll leave here tomorrow."  
  
Kagome looked at the hanyou, confused. Where would they go? No Place was safe anymore.  
  
'I guess I should try to trust him...,' she thought as she curled up against the cool floor and tried to fall asleep. Then she heard a patting sound and opened her eyes to see Inu Yasha patting his lap, gesturing for her to rest her head there. Not in the mood to argue, she complied. After all, the floor wasn't very comfortable.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: Aww! That was a sweet scene ^.^ This chapter was kinda angsty, but tis' all part of the plot. Tell me whatcha think and review please!!!  
  
Otaku-Chan ^_~ 


	4. The Meeting of Fate

Disclaimer: The kawaii Inu Yasha isn't mine....*sigh*....'nuff said.  
  
AN: Sorry I took a whole week to get this out...just blame my school ^_^; Oh, and I changed two words in the prologue. It's now the Inu youkai clan, not tribe (sounded too primitive, ne?) And Inu Yasha was an outcast from their clan. In answer to all questions you may have: All in due time! This is only the beginning of the story! Sango, Miroku and many other characters will get into the story eventually ^_^. Oh, and I've decided to definitely stick to Inu/Kag and Sesshy/Rin...oooh, the plans I have for them...^___^  
  
**** I edited some minor errors in this chapter, so if you're reading this for the first time, or second (^-^) it's all good for you!  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Three~The Meeting of Fate  
  
It had been ten months since the spies from Saizen and the other four taijiya villages had begun to take Kinryoku apart from the seams, unbeknownst to the people living there. They arrived at Kinryoku, pretending to be traitors of the taijiya villages, no longer able to tolerate the fighting and the death. They played the roles of the guards and main defensive forces once they gained the trust of Kinryoku's leader, Sumiya Anzen, only to turn around and strike at the village in the end. It was a perfect coup d'etat. And the night the hanyou was freed from Saizen became the perfect excuse they needed to invade the village.  
  
Taking an outcast from the Inu youkai clan was the spark needed to start the fire. The Kinryoku spy who freed him was either incredibly naive, or she was completely oblivious to what the taijiya had been planning.  
  
Yes, everything was going according to plan. Taking the people and youkai from Kinryoku as slaves was the next step in the plan. They would eventually perish, but not just yet.  
  
The taijiya leader, who was known only as Naraku, had his goals set on getting rid of those who defended the existence of youkai and hanyou alike. People like them didn't have the right to exist either, as far as he was concerned. Once Kinryoku was out of the way, he could focus all of his forces on getting rid of the remaining youkai clans, especially the Inu youkai. He feared them the most, since they were more intelligent than all the rest. They had revealed their cunning and skills time and time again, and their methods of combat had vastly improved. He especially despised the current leader of the Inu youkai...Sesshoumaru. Yes...He had to get rid of that pest...  
  
**********  
  
Through the deep, twisting forest paths, covered in unseen shrubs, and unwelcome roots, Rin ran. The only light she had to illuminate the path was that of the full moon's. Covered in scratches from sharp, thorny plants, as well as some wounds from the siege at Kinryoku, she was indeed worse for wear. However, the driving desire to stay alive kept her going.  
  
Her deep, azure kimono was torn from the ankle area, all the way up to the middle of her right thigh, accompanied by both wet and dry crimson stains of blood, which came from a deep cut on her leg. She tried to ignore the intense pain. Her muscles were stretching to their limits, almost screaming from the exertion she was putting on them. Her breathing was fast and heavy, and her heart was racing as fast as she was. She swallowed the bile she felt rising in her throat and tried to ignore the nauseating fatigue that was quickly overwhelming her body. If she was to be captured by a taijiya now, she'd never have a chance to repent for the huge mistake she made. It was all her fault that everything had happened. Even knowing all of this, she refused to lose hope.  
  
She'd had the feeling that Kinryoku was on the verge of total war, and she ended up being the catalyst to it's destruction. All the information she'd gathered as a spy was merely a cover-up for the taijiya's true plans. Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt the overwhelming guilt. In a way, she sacrificed her entire village for one person...how foolish...or was it? Who could decide if the lives of many were more important than one? The only consoling thought Rin had was that the taijiya were merely taking the villagers as slaves. She prayed they wouldn't execute them. No. She would never let that happen, but she did know that she couldn't save them on her own. She needed help, but who could she possibly turn to?  
  
'Damn it! I should've just left the hanyou there...but... would I be able to live with myself if I let him be killed...?' she thought as she jumped over another elevated tree root, 'if it wasn't for those adorable puppy ears...'  
  
Before Rin could think another 'puppy eared' thought, she was stopped dead in her tracks by a tall figure. Her lithe body fell hard to the ground as she realized she had bumped into whatever it was before her.  
  
"Ow...," she wined, rubbing her lower back, then glancing upward, only to have her breath taken away.  
  
He was gorgeous...Or was it a he? She didn't know, but all the same, the creature before her seemed to shine with an ethereal glow.  
  
"I-Inu Yasha?"  
  
Then the being slowly turned his cold golden gaze upon her, not making a sound. No, it definitely wasn't Inu Yasha, but there was a resemblance...  
  
Rin took note of all of this. After looking over the fierce armor and seeing a sword at it's side, she concluded it was a male. Then, to her surprise, he began to speak.  
  
"Ignorant human wench, I am not Inu Yasha, however, I have been searching for that reckless hanyou. Before I wipe you off the face of this earth, answer me one question, ...where have you seen Inu Yasha?" a deep, smooth voice growled in a threatening tone. Rin had a bad feeling about the man before her...no, youkai. She could tell he was the kind of youkai that despised humans.  
  
"You know him? I am the one who got him out of Saizen the night he was captured. The last I saw of him, he was in Kinryoku with my friend, Kagome. I would help you find him..., but I'm not sure I can go on..."  
  
Rin suddenly winced at the immense pain she felt shooting up her leg, and she cried out as she felt the warm blood continue to ooze out into her lap. Apparently the wound was worse than she thought, and running only opened it further. The adrenaline had kept her from feeling it...  
  
The youkai could smell her blood, and judging from the wound on her leg, she'd be dead in five minutes at the most.  
  
Rin got up the courage to speak to the handsome, yet dangerous looking being before her. If he was going to finish her off, she may as well have him hear her out first.  
  
"I guess this is it, ne? Even though you probably hate humans, and me as well, I...just want you to know this...not all humans hate youkai," Rin gasped as she felt another sharp bolt of pain, "It seems...I'm not gonna make it... Who will save my people? And who will save the youkai?"  
  
Rin paused, lowering her head in pain.  
  
"I guess I'll have...to try harder in...another lifetime. I don't have any hatred for youkai, or humans...I only want to help put an...end to all of this wretched...fighting...," Rin said, tears running down her cheeks in a torrent of emotion. Then, unable to bear the pain any longer, she passed out, her body going limp in a small puddle of her own crimson blood.  
  
The youkai lord didn't understand the peculiar creature before him. Such an enigma, as all humans were. Sesshoumaru had never heard such words out of the mouth of a human in his entire life. All his life, he firmly believed that no humans could truly care for youkai, be they from Kinryoku or not. She desired to save her people and end the war itself, even knowing it was a futile wish. Why are human's like that? Always getting upset over problems that are far too difficult for them to fix.  
  
As he stared at her seemingly lifeless body, he felt an odd emotion...was it pity? Perhaps he should spare this wench's life. After all, if she had enough skills and strength to sneak his pathetic half-brother out of Saizen, and come this far out into his territory with a wound as severe as that...Indeed, for a human female, she was quite commendable.  
  
A minute had passed as the youkai lord stood over the girl in quiet contemplation. All was silent except for a few crickets and other insects of the night. A cool evening breeze drifted through the pine trees, sending a slight chill down Sesshoumaru's spine.  
  
He could smell it. A smell that was very familiar to him.  
  
The smell of death.  
  
The girl had died...Without another thought, Sesshoumaru grasped the hilt of his sword, Tenseiga, and began to unsheathe it. He swung the mighty healing sword, which was passed down to him from his father, slicing up the spirits that would take the girl's soul to Hell. He watched in anticipation for the girl to revive. He had never used the sword before to revive anyone, especially not a human.  
  
'Father...I just saved the life of an unworthy human...'  
  
Before Sesshoumaru could be further upset for his sudden, unlikely action, the girl's clear brown eyes gazed into his golden ones, erasing all of his doubts. He could practically feel the girl's pure spirit and overwhelming joy.  
  
"W-What just happened?"  
  
Seeing that the young woman was now in a state of confusion, he obliged to answer the question he knew she would ask.  
  
"Your wound did you in, and I revived you. As payment for my deed, you will help me track down Inu Yasha. However, if you become bothersome, I will not hesitate to kill you."  
  
Rin was very surprised. Not only were all of her wounds gone, but the youkai before had actually brought her back to life! Who was this mysterious man?  
  
"Ano...may I ask your name?"  
  
"I am the Inu youkai lord of the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru. Now, if you're done with your questions, we should head back to my estate. Come morning, you'll come with me to find Inu Yasha."  
  
"I don't understand...you were threatening to take my life, and now you're saying that you revived me and want me travel with you? Honestly! I'll never understand what goes on in youkai's heads!" Rin sighed, utterly perplexed by her situation. 'At least I'm alive again,' she thought, as she followed this 'Sesshoumaru.'  
  
**********  
  
"Do you understand what you have to do?"  
  
"Hai, Naraku-Sama. I am to exterminate Sesshoumaru and retrieve his Tenseiga..., but this will be an exceedingly dangerous job. I'm not sure I can handle it," said the soft-spoken voice of a young woman clad in the traditional taijiya clothing, a large boomerang at her side.  
  
"If I had any doubt of your abilities, I wouldn't have chosen you for this job. You are one of the best hunters in this village. Do not disappoint me, Sango."  
  
"I'll do my best, my lord."  
  
Then Sango bowed in respect, and exited the room. As she walked down the long hallway that lead to the exit, she couldn't help but feel doubt. 'Can I really take on Sesshoumaru all by myself? This is suicide! Even with all the damn technology we have!'  
  
She exhaled in a deep sigh as she let down her long, ebony hair.  
  
"Sister! Are you going to take the job?" a young boy of eleven asked as he came running up to the girl.  
  
"It appears I have no choice, but don't worry about it Kohaku. Just believe in me, okay?"  
  
"Can't I go with you? I want to help too!" the boy exclaimed as he grasped onto Sango's wrist.  
  
"No. You'd be better off here. Just help out around the village...it's safer," she replied, noting the disappointment on Kohaku's freckled face.  
  
"Hai~~~"  
  
"Good. Go tell father that I'll be leaving shortly, and get some food packed for me too."  
  
With that said, Kohaku nodded and ran off to their hut. Sango then pulled out a small, rolled up piece of rice paper, which was a map to where the Inu youkai's estate was. Naraku had marked off all of the best routes for her to get there, and she still had all the details fresh in her mind. Once in the manor, she was to infiltrate the youkai lord's quarters and use the new secret weapon.  
  
It was a scroll she kept in her belt...but not just any scroll...  
  
The most powerful miko named Kikyou had created the scroll, which had the power to extract the soul of any youkai, and instantly destroy it.  
  
'All I have to do is hit him with this scroll, and it's all over,' Sango thought as she looked at the seemingly harmless piece of paper, which was so powerful at the same time.  
  
Sango then headed to the hut to retrieve the rest of her things and bid her family farewell. It would be a difficult trip, and invading the most powerful Inu youkai lord's domain wasn't exactly her idea of a great job, but she had to take it. Her family needed the money, and her rank as a youkai taijiya is what kept the food on the table.  
  
Upon entering her pine scented home, she greeted her mother and father, both of whom were cleaning and repairing weapons and armor for other taijiya. They were the local 'fixer-uppers' of Saizen.  
  
"Ah, Sango-Chan...you be careful, you hear," said the deep voice of her father.  
  
"Don't get yourself killed. I'm going to make your favorite dinner for you when you come back," her mother said as she got up and hugged her daughter. Kohaku came into the room at that moment, a batch of rice balls in his hands.  
  
"I promise I'll be back."  
  
"Here sis, I made these for you. Don't eat them all at once like a pig. They hafta' last you know!" Kohaku said as he handed them to her.  
  
"Hey! Who're you calling a pig?!"  
  
"Anyway, good luck sis. Come back safely, okay?"  
  
The two siblings hugged each other good-bye, then Sango gathered up her gear and left.  
  
After walking to the edge of the village, Sango stopped in a secluded little spot by a large tree. She opened her leather bag and took out a small bottle of lotion.  
  
A cold wind blew, sending shivers down her spine as she rubbed the scented lotion into the skin of her arms and legs. Sango knew that Inu youkai had very keen senses of smell, so she used the lotion to cover her human scent with their scent. Another invention by the miko's guild, of course.  
  
As she rolled down her long, black sleeves and pant legs, she looked up at the tree top, noting how beautiful the leaves were in the autumn.  
  
"Well, time to go. Be brave, Sango," she said to herself as she left the village, not quite sure of what dangers lied ahead.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: See? Sango's in the story now! ^_^ For those of you who're clamoring for more romance, you'll have to wait. This will hopefully be a long fic, and love isn't too fast now, is it? R+R! 


	5. Quarreling is Only the Beginning

Disclaimer: Inu Yasha's not mine. Tis all ye need to know.  
  
AN: Well, I don't really have much to say here, but I thank all of you out there who reviewed, it really does keep me going ^_^. Anywho, this chapter is breaking away from the angst. I'm better at writing humorous stories anyway. Lots of fluffy moments ahead, so enjoy!  
  
Kitsune- Fox demon. ( I know, I said all the vocab was in the prologue ^^; )  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Four~Quarreling is Only the Beginning  
  
Deep in the forest, far away from any of the taijiya villages...  
  
"Mou! Where exactly ARE we going? We've been walking for two days already, I'm tired, hungry, smell like something that died, and on top of it all, my feet are KILLING me!"  
  
"The more you complain, the longer it will take for us to get there," Inu Yasha snorted as he continued at his own pace, annoyed by the girl's blabbering.  
  
"Get where? You still haven't told me where the heck we are going," Kagome huffed. Then she stopped and sat on an upraised tree root, rubbing her sore feet after removing her wooden sandals. The bottom of her light green kimono was frayed and covered in dry mud, much to her dismay. That was her favorite kimono, too.  
  
"Keh. If I tell you, will you stop whining so much?" he asked, highly annoyed now that she stopped for another break. Maybe he should've left her to die.  
  
"Maybe... now, where are we going?"  
  
"We're going to a village. There, happy now?"  
  
Kagome visibly growled. That wasn't the answer she wanted to hear, being as obvious as it was.  
  
"Osuwari!"  
  
*Thud*  
  
"Hey! What the hell did I do to deserve that, ehhh?!"  
  
"Grrr...You are so...so...argh!" she yelled in frustration.  
  
"Keh. You shouldn't talk, wench!" Inu Yasha spat as he pealed himself off the dirty ground.  
  
Kagome finally put her sandals back on, much to her discomfort, and slowly stood up. After wincing in pain from her poor feet, she sat back down again.  
  
"I can't walk anymore! Go on without me...I'm nothing but a burden," she pouted, giving up seemed better than walking on sore feet.  
  
Then, Inu Yasha suddenly pulled Kagome up and motioned for her to get onto his back.  
  
"Wha~?" she began, but was then cut off.  
  
"I'll carry you for a bit, that should be enough for your feet. Ahhh, humans are so weak..."  
  
Kagome would have felt angry at his last comment, but she was grateful for his offer. It felt strangely comforting to be so close to him. She felt safe and warm, but of course, she would never admit it. The only thing worrying her at the moment was if he was offended by her smell...after all, it had been three days since she last bathed, and she knew he had a sensitive nose.  
  
'Well, if he doesn't say anything, I won't,' she thought with a small grin.  
  
"You're not as heavy as I thought you'd be," Inu Yasha remarked.  
  
"Gee, maybe because I haven't eaten anything in so long..." she hissed.  
  
Suddenly, to Kagome's surprise, Inu Yasha leaped up high onto a tree branch, causing her to cry out in fear.  
  
"Did you have to scream in my ear?!"  
  
"Well sorry! I'm just not used to heights, okay!!!" she argued, embarrassed by her little outburst.  
  
"This is quicker, so don't complain. We should see the village soon. Then you can meet the old hag."  
  
"Old hag?" Kagome asked, wondering who he meant. Was it going to be some old, scaly demon? She shuddered at the thought.  
  
Then, Inu Yasha stopped dead in his tracks up in an old tree on it's sturdy branch.  
  
"I sense a demon nearby..." he said, while sniffing the air. Kagome began to feel worried. Whatever was out there had him on edge...  
  
The next thing they both knew, the tree branch they were on had been swiftly sliced off, leaving them to plummet towards the ground.  
  
"Kyaaaa!" Kagome shrieked as she had a death grip on Inu Yasha.  
  
"Hey! Not so tight!" he growled.  
  
Luckily, he managed to keep his balance, and landed safely on both feet.  
  
"So, tis a mere hanyou and a human. How cute..." said a smooth female voice, "I think I'll have some fun with you two. La, let's begin, shall we?"  
  
Then, out from a tall bush appeared a skantily clad woman with short black hair. She had a red comb in one hand, and what seemed to be hair coming off of it.  
  
"La...I've been searching for the owner of this beautiful silver hair. Now that I've found you, I'm sure you won't mind if I take the rest!"  
  
Then, brandishing a small sword, the woman lashed out at Inu Yasha, intending to slice his head clean off his shoulders. Inu Yasha quickly pushed Kagome out of the way, then reached for his own sword.  
  
"Look out!" Kagome screamed as the demon came closer.  
  
Then, without hesitation, Inu Yasha unsheathed the sword. Kagome's eyes grew wide as she witnessed the rusty looking sword transform into a huge blade that resembled a giant fang.  
  
"Hm, not bad, hanyou, but not good enough either."  
  
"Don't underestimate me, bitch!" Inu Yasha warned as he swiftly slashed with his own sword, "Now, taste my iron cleaving fang! Tetsusaiga!"  
  
Kagome gazed at the hanyou, amazed and in awe. 'I had no idea that he could use a sword like that...interesting.'  
  
"La, I'll slice you to pieces with my demonic hair!!!"  
  
Suddenly, large masses of black hair came spiraling towards Inu Yasha from all directions. However, he soon realized that he couldn't see the hair.  
  
"Inu Yasha! Don't just stand there, dodge the hair!" Kagome yelled as she pointed to the shiny hair. But it was too late. She knocked the sword away from him with her hair that he couldn't see. Inu Yasha was then entangled in it, and this demon was free to take advantage of that fact.  
  
"Allow me to introduce myself before I kill you. I am Yura of the hair. Hm, hm, and you certainly do have lovely hair..." she cackled before slicing Inu Yasha with her sword.  
  
Kagome stared in horror at what was happening. She had to do something, but how? Without any weapons she was useless...  
  
That's when she noticed the Tetsusaiga lying nearby on the ground...  
  
'If I can get him his sword, I'm sure he'll beat her!' she thought as she made a mad dash for the sword without Yura noticing.  
  
"Inu Yasha! Take it! Quick!" Then Kagome threw it to his free hand.  
  
"Looks like you're not totally useless after all! Heh!"  
  
"You little witch! You'll pay for this!" Yura shouted, now with her sights set on the human before her. However, before she could get a step closer. Inu Yasha swiped at her with the mighty fang, destroying her red comb, and her as well.  
  
"We did it! Way to go doggy-boy!" Kagome exclaimed, patting him on the shoulder. When he winced a bit, she then remembered the wound he had received. "Are you okay?"  
  
"It'll heal soon, but I'm afraid I can't carry you now."  
  
Kagome was surprised to hear his words. He actually sounded sincere. He seemed to care more about her than his wound.  
  
"Keh. Good riddance. You were a pain in the back anyway."  
  
'I take it back! He's still an arrogant baka!' she thought as she gave him a death glare.  
  
**********  
  
"Nee, Kaeda-Baachan, where do you think Inu Yasha went? He's been gone for almost four days now!" said a little kitsune.  
  
"I know not what became of him child, yet I sense that wherever he is, he's fine," replied an elderly woman, who happened to be a miko.  
  
Suddenly a man came into Kaede's hut.  
  
"Kaede-Sama, Inu Yasha has returned, and he has a girl with him."  
  
"I see. Found himself a mate, did he?" she chuckled.  
  
"Who in their right mind would wanna be HIS mate?" the kitsune asked incredulously.  
  
"Now, now. Be nice, Shippo."  
  
The two stepped out of the cozy little hut to greet their hanyou friend and the girl. Little Shippo was surprised to see that the girl was a human.  
  
"Inu Yasha, where did you get that awful wound?" asked the concerned voice of Kaede.  
  
"I ran into some Yura person. As for my long absence, and this creature beside me~"  
  
"Hey! Who're you calling a creature?!"  
  
"Ahem, as I was saying...I can explain it all to you in detail. Let's go inside," Inu Yasha said simply, not noticing that Kagome was fuming from his remark.  
  
A hour (and many arguments) later, Inu Yasha was calmly (cough, cough) explaining everything to Kaede and Shippo...  
  
"You baka! How could you let yourself be captured? Did you have a death wish or something?"  
  
"Keh! I didn't get captured on purpose! Some miko bitch caught me off guard, put this damn rosary on me, then I got taken in by a taijiya that was with her. They locked me up in a cage like an animal after this whole big court ceremony...Their leader, Naraku I think, ordered to have me killed the next morning. I wanted to rip that bastard apart, but I was kept in some odd restraints that seemed to drain my energy. With the technology those people have going for them, I was surprised that they didn't have better security around those cages.If there was, I'm sure that Kinryoku spy wouldn't have been able to get me out. So, you can thank that human for saving my life. What was her name again?" he asked, turning towards Kagome.  
  
"Rin."  
  
"Now that I'm involved with this girl here~"  
  
"I have a name, you know! Kagome...KA-GO-ME! Learn to use it dog boy!" Kagome retorted.  
  
"Fine, Kagagme, or whatever. I'm stuck with her now because she sealed this rosary's spell, and I want it off. Also, I'm partially responsible for her village being over run by the taijiya, since it was me they were after. If it wasn't for these circumstances, I'd have nothing to do with her," Inu Yasha snorted, glancing at Kagome, then back to Kaede and Shippo.  
  
"Hmmm, it seems you two were brought together by some dreadful circumstances... ...However, I'm sure it is in the best interests of BOTH of you to try and get along," Kaede said as she sipped some warm green tea.  
  
"Keh!"  
  
"We made a deal Inu Yasha! You help me save my family and the others, and I'll take the rosary off you."  
  
"You two really DO look like a couple! Always fighting..."  
  
*Bonk*  
  
"Owwww!!! Why'd you have to hit me for Inu Yasha! It's true! You'd almost think you two were mates or something!" Shippo squealed as Inu Yasha began to pummel him with punches. Kagome blushed a bit.  
  
"You better shut your hole before I tear you a new one!" Inu Yasha growled as poor little Shippo ran to Kaede for cover.  
  
"Ahem! Enough out of both of you. It's been a long day, and Kagome, I'm sure you are weary from everything that's happened so far. If you'd like, I may procure a bar of soap for you so you can wash up."  
  
Kagome's face lit up with utter joy.Yes! Out of all the misfortunes she's encountered over the past few days, finally she can at least get clean! Then Kaede began to speak again, getting back her attention.  
  
"I even have a clean kimono that I'm sure will fit you. There is a hot spring not too far from here. Inu Yasha, you will show her where it is, and make sure no youkai are about. And while you're there, you might as well bathe too. You certainly do not smell like ashes and roses..."  
  
"No way old hag! I'm not going!" Inu Yasha shot back.  
  
"I would love to have a bath, but not with an untrustworthy character like him around!" Kagome grimaced at the thought...who knew what the hanyou would do if he....no, some thoughts are best left alone.  
  
"Both of you, go, before the sun sets. I will not tolerate foul smelling beings in my hut, be they hanyou or human."  
  
At that, Inu Yasha and Kagome both shut up, and felt quite embarrassed.  
  
"Keh! Fine! Where's the damn soap?"  
  
Kaede motioned for Shippo to retrieve the soap and some drying cloths.  
  
"Here. Oh, and don't stay in the hot springs too long, otherwise we just might think that you two are~"  
  
*Bonk*  
  
"That's enough out of you, Shippo."  
  
Then, picking up a bar of soap and drying cloth, Kagome, unwillingly, followed Inu Yasha out of the hut.  
  
'I can't believe this! Now I can't even bathe in peace,' Kagome sulked.  
  
'Damn woman! Why do I always get stuck with her? What cruel joke is fate playing on me? ARGH!' Inu Yasha thought as he glared daggers at Kagome.  
  
It was going to be a loooong evening...  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: I know I'm evil! That's a mean cliff hanger, ne? Well, it'll make y'all look forward to the next chapter even more ^_^. Lot's of hot springs fun to come! Remember, R+R! 


	6. A Hanyou's Past

Disclaimer: Tweedly dee, tweedly doo, Inu Yasha's not mine, so boo to you.  
  
AN: Here it is...the hot springs chapter! *swats away the hentais with a ten foot pole* There will be a lot of Inu's past revealed in this chapter, too. Anyway, enjoy ^_*.  
  
Onii-Chan - Brother.  
  
Onee-San - Sister.  
  
Haori - Inu Yasha's clothing. ( I did it again! )  
  
~~~~~~ - Flashback.  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Five~A Hanyou's Past  
  
"Ahh, the hot water feels absolutely wonderful!" Kagome remarked as she submerged into the refreshing pool. She pulled out her soap and began to work up a good lather and clean herself off. Being clean made her feel like a civilized human being again.  
  
"Don't take too long, or you'll shrivel up like Kaede-Baba," Inu Yasha remarked from a slightly smaller pool of the hot spring that was adjacent to the one Kagome was in. All that was between the two was a wide boulder, however, not very tall, so the two had their backs turned to each other. In case of any danger, Inu Yasha had his Tetsusaiga on the 'rock of division,' as Kagome declared it. Trickling water came into the steamy springs by a tiny rock overhang, adding a tranquil appeal to the area. Warm steam rose up from the water, causing small beads of condensation to form on their exposed skin.  
  
"I don't need your stupid comments. And, if you dare try anything, I swear I'll sit you until you're buried ten feet in the ground!"  
  
"Keh, who'd WANT to try anything with a wench like you?" was his reply as he began to carefully wash his long silvery hair. He suddenly gasped in pain as he felt the foamy soap bubbles trickle down his chest where a deep cut still remained from Yura's attack. Kagome, however, thought something was wrong, so she turned around to see the back of his head, noticing he was looking down at something.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
He quickly turned around to stare Kagome directly in her eyes. Her dark, ebony hair came over her shoulders, almost like a protective veil. If it wasn't for that and the boulder covering her youthful chest, he might have lost his composure...  
  
'Keh! I shouldn't even think such thoughts!' he reprimanded himself in his mind.  
  
"Ah! Look at that wound! It's even worse than I thought. You should let me patch it up...I saw some herbs nearby that are good for healing flesh wounds," Kagome stated, worry written all over her face. She was actually quite appealing when she wasn't angry, Inu Yasha noted as he observed her. Strange how she could switch between so many emotions all the time.  
  
"I already told you, I don't need any treatment! My body is not like a frail human's body. By tomorrow, there won't even be so much as a scar left on me."  
  
Kagome got a good look at Inu Yasha, at least his upper body, and was quite impressed. Aside from the ugly cut that marred his chest, he was fairly good looking. His long, sleek silver hair trailed all the way down his well toned back and over his broad shoulders. His arms were strong and muscled, but not so much that it was unappealing. And the water dripping down his smooth skin...  
  
'Whoa Kagome! Don't even go there!' she thought to herself as a blush creeped up onto her cheeks. Not wanting him to notice her embarrassment, she turned back around and tried to continue the conversation.  
  
"A-Anyway, you still should let me patch up that wound when we get back to the village. I'm sure that even you are susceptible to infections."  
  
Inu Yasha then disappeared under the smooth surface of the water to rinse the soap out of his hair.  
  
Kagome wondered why he always seemed to shun her attention. All she wanted to do was help him, yet he kept trying to distance himself, whether it was with cruel remarks, or the usual 'keh.' He hadn't even called her by her name yet! Perhaps he was afraid of getting close to others, because he was afraid of getting hurt. Who knew what kind of life he's lived thus far, being a hanyou in a world which loathes their very existence. Child of a human, yet also child of a demon.  
  
'Inu Yasha...I know we just met, but how can we accomplish anything if we don't get along?' Kagome thought as she too submerged into the hot water to rinse herself. When she came back up, she just knew that she had to question him, and hopefully obtain some answers. 'I might as well get to know him better...Maybe it'll even help me understand why he always acts like such a selfish jerk.' She turned around to make sure he came back up, and seeing he was there, couldn't help but giggle at how his ears drooped when they were wet.  
  
"What's so damn funny?" he asked, while once again turning to face the strange girl.  
  
"Ah...nothing! I was just wondering..." she began.  
  
'Oh great...here comes another lecture...'  
  
"Inu Yasha, can you tell me more about yourself? I don't mean to sound nosy or anything, but, well, I just want to get to know you better..." she paused, wondering if she angered him at all, then continued, "What was your life like when you were a child? I imagine that you weren't treated very kindly...being a hany~"  
  
"Listen, I don't need to be constantly reminded of what I am. I know you probably can't stand the sight of me, so let's just end this conversation."  
  
"That's not true! I have nothing against you because of what you are. I just want to know more about you, ...and why you always try so hard to distance yourself from me."  
  
"Keh. You really sicken me! Pretending that you actually care. I can't stand people like you. You're so very naive. The world isn't as kindly as you think it is," Inu Yasha said in an angry tone that sent shivers down Kagome's spine. His deep, golden eyes showed her sorrow, anger, fear, and above all, annoyance. "If you really need to know, I had a horrible life up until fifty years ago when I found Kaede-Baba's village.If you think you can change my attitude, forget it. I don't want to get close to anybody, especially a nosy, annoying bitch like you!"  
  
"G...Gomen nasai, Inu Yasha. I didn't mean to upset you...but, despite what you may think about me, let me make one thing perfectly clear to you: I am NOT a bitch!" Kagome shouted at him, causing him to cover his ears. She was saddened by his words, but above all she was enraged. How could he just assume she was like that?! Feeling she was going nowhere fast, Kagome decided on another tactic to get him to lighten up. "I tell you what, if you tell me about yourself, I'll take the rosary off. How's that?"  
  
"Keh! I can tell by the look on your face that you're lying!"  
  
Kagome had it. He went too far this time.  
  
"Osuwari!!!"  
  
*Splash*  
  
*Gurgle*  
  
*Choke*  
  
When a bedraggled hanyou popped back up out of the water, Kagome knew she finally had him where she wanted him.  
  
"Now, if you don't want me to drown you with osu...the word, then I suggest you start talking."  
  
"Fine! But I WILL get my revenge for that time!" Inu Yasha coughed, sputtering up water.  
  
Kagome merely gave him an innocent smile.  
  
"When I was born, I had lived in a grand estate owned by my father. He was the great Inu Taishou, Lord of the Western Territories. I heard from my mother that he was at least three hundred years old before she met him. Heh, he looked pretty young to me, but what did I know?"  
  
"No way! Inu Taishou was your father??? I had no idea!" Kagome exclaimed. She had always heard stories about the great Inu youkai lord, but to be seeing his very own son..."A-Anyway...please continue."  
  
"My mother was a mere human, but I guess my father loved her, otherwise I wouldn't be here, now would I?" Kagome nodded, intent on hearing more of his life story. "Her name was Yukiko, but when I was only five years of age, my father was killed in a battle with Ryutaishou, a powerful dragon that threatened to take my father's territory. My older half-brother, Sesshoumaru then inherited the Western Territories, and, being a full blooded youkai, he despised my mother and I. On his orders, we were thrown out of the estate to fend for ourselves in the wilderness. Shortly after, my mother became ill from her grief. I was so young that even if I wanted to, I could do nothing for her. I guess you could say I was a burden to her. I remember the day she died...that's when I was truly all alone for the first time..."  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Cold, white blankets of snow covered everything in sight, the ground, the trees, everything. Inu Yasha was huddled close to his mother, trying to stay warm from the frigid temperatures. They had been staying inside a small, damp cave, hiding from any youkai that would find them to be a tasty meal. It seemed like everything was going wrong, yet his mother tried to comfort him when he felt the doubt in his own heart.  
  
"Mommy, why did Onii-Chan tell us to leave? Doesn't he know that it's cold outside? Why is he so mean to us?!" little Inu Yasha sniffled as he buried his face in his mother's warm kimono. Yukiko hugged him tightly, tears forming in her own eyes. Next to her was the only thing she had left of her beloved Inu Taishou, Tetsusaiga, which she had managed to keep, unbeknownst to Sesshoumaru. If they survived, Inu Yasha would inherit the sword, as her husband had wished.  
  
"My dear Inu Yasha, your Onii-Chan...he dislikes us simply because we are not youkai like him. I am a human, and you are a hanyou. If your father was still alive this wouldn't have happened..."  
  
The crying child lifted his head to look at his mother's sad face. "What's a hanyou?"  
  
Another few tear drops slid down her cheeks as she tried to answer his question.  
  
"A hanyou is neither a human or a youkai, but a mix of both..."  
  
"So then why don't both humans and youkai like me? Everyone is mean to me!" he cried.  
  
"That may be so, but I'll always love you, no matter what you are. You will always be my precious child, Inu Yasha. Remember that," she whispered as she kissed his forehead gently.  
  
Later that evening, the two were soundly asleep, and unaware of the danger nearby.  
  
Stalking closer to the familiar scent, the youkai lurked, intent on spilling fresh blood this night. Nothing could be more satisfying than the horrified screams of a human...and the pleasures that could be taken from them.  
  
Inu Yasha woke up, startled to feel sharp claws wrenching him away from his mother. The next thing he heard was screaming. He saw his mother thrashing beneath a hideous youkai covered in scars. He jumped on it's back and dug his little claws into the creature's flesh, gaining a loud roar in return.  
  
"You little runt! How dare you!"  
  
Suddenly, the youkai slammed a fist into Inu Yasha's abdomen, then threw the battered hanyou up against the cold stone wall of the cave. Inu Yasha slumped to the ground, unconscious and bloody.  
  
**********  
  
Slowly opening his eyes, Inu Yasha winced in pain. He glanced around, trying to piece together what had happened. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the sword his mother said was his inheritance. He reached for the heavy blade, feeling a little more secure having it by his side, even if it was taller than he was.  
  
"Mother!" he shouted as he looked around the interior of the cave. She was gone.  
  
Then, as he slowly walked near the entrance of the cave, he stepped in a cold, wet liquid. Looking down, he was horrified to see what it was, and looking out at the red snow that followed it, he knew. Blood.  
  
Carefully, he stepped out of the cave, noticing a trail of blood in the snow. His feet stung from the freezing matter as he followed the path of blood. After walking for a couple of yards, he came upon a large bush. Underneath it was the body of his mother, her body was barely recognizable. He felt his stomach twist into knots, and he had to force himself to look away.  
  
Tears poured from his eyes as he turned and ran. He had no place to go, yet he ran faster, trying to escape the horrible images that plagued him. Slipping on an unseen ice-patch, Inu Yasha tumbled onto the cold, wet ground.  
  
"M-Mother...." he whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut tight.  
  
From that moment on he was alone. Neither humans nor youkai would accept him, and he had to grow tough to survive. He learned how to focus his demonic energy to make Tetsusaiga transform into the glorious fang that was once his father's. He closed his heart to everyone, forgetting how it felt to love and be loved, yet never forgetting his mother's kind words to him that fateful night.  
  
After traveling for many months, he learned that the world was truly a cruel place, however, when he invaded this one village for food, he discovered otherwise.  
  
"I've come to take these. If you have a problem with that, take it up with my Tetsusaiga," A now seventeen-year-old Inu Yasha growled as he stuffed the food into his red haori top. The girl stood, frozen with fear, but even more so....fascination.  
  
"Ano...you can have the food, I don't mind, demo..."  
  
Inu Yasha's ears twitched. Was this girl insane, or just afraid? No one ever said he could HAVE their food before.  
  
"Are those ears for real? I wanna touch them!"  
  
Inu Yasha leapt back from the girl who appeared to be five. Who did she think she was talking to?  
  
"Keh! Listen, human, I have no intentions to let you touch my ears! Now, if you don't mind, I'm leaving."  
  
"Wait! Please don't go! You're a hanyou, right? I always heard stories about them, but I've never actually seen one before. What kind of hanyou are you? A Neko or an Inu? Do you live near here?"  
  
Scratching his furry right ear, Inu Yasha walked up to the curious child. He bent down to look her in her left eye, seeing that the other had a patch over it.  
  
"What do you want with me, child?" he asked.  
  
"Well...I wouldn't mind having a friend," she beamed cheerfully. She reminded him of the way he was when he was very small, always looking for a friend. This girl must've been very lonely if she was asking him to befriend her in such an awkward situation. "Please! I promise I'll give you all the food you want, and we can play together! Ever since my Onee-San died, I've been all by myself. None of the other children wanna play with me because I only have one good eye...They call me a Cyclops!"  
  
Inu Yasha suddenly recalled the many names he was called as a young child. At that moment, something inside of him opened up, and he felt an emotion that he hadn't felt in a long time. Pity. Pity for this mere slip of a human child before him.  
  
"Girl, what is your name?"  
  
"Kaede, but you can call me K-Chan," she said, smiling again.  
  
"Ano...would it be all right if I stay here? I'm a bit weary from my travels...and ...I've been without a home for so long now, I forgot what it's like to be in one place for more than a few nights," he explained, feeling that perhaps he could stay with this child, and maybe even have a friend.  
  
"Hai!" Kaede exclaimed as she began to leap up and down in joy.  
  
Fifty years had passed since that day, and Kaede was an old woman, while Inu Yasha, of course, remained as youthful as ever. It seemed like a pleasant dream. Being in a place where he was accepted, whether it was by only one human, or many others. He got by there, and helped Kaede in many ways. When she first became a miko, he watched in amusement the first time she strung a bow and arrow, and nearly killed her instructor.  
  
Later on, a little kitsune was discovered in the village, bloody and worse for wear. Inu Yasha found him, and brought him to Kaede to be healed. When the child grew better, it was discovered that his name was Shippo, and his parents had been hunted by youkai taijiya.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"And basically, that's everything up until now. I really have nothing more to say."  
  
"Inu Yasha...you and Kaede were friends for fifty years? By the way you talk to her, I would've never guessed. And the story of your childhood..." Kagome wiped away a tear she felt forming in her right eye before he would notice. "I thought you said you wouldn't get close to anybody, but it seems that's not entirely true if you stayed with Kaede all these years. You're not so bad after all," she smiled, then, realizing how long they had been in the hot spring, she prepared to get out before her shin soaked up any more water.  
  
The evening was finally setting in, and orange-golden rays of sunlight seemed to color the earth in a beautiful hazy glow.  
  
"I'm getting out now, so don't you dare look!" Kagome stated as she waded to the edge of the spring to grab her drying cloth. As she got out, she quickly wrapped it around herself and grabbed the clean kimono. Then she proceeded to go behind a large tree to dry herself and change. When she was descent, she came out and gathered up her stuff.  
  
"Are you done yet? I'll become a super prune if I stay in any longer," said Inu Yasha as he kept his head turned in the opposite direction.  
  
"Go ahead. I can go back on my own since I know the way now."  
  
As Kagome turned around and started walking, Inu Yasha got out and put the cloth around his waist. Somehow, he felt relieved to tell someone all of that. He kept his past buried for so long. The only other person who ever heard of his childhood was Kaede, but with Kagome it seemed different. That girl had the most sincere look in her eyes.  
  
'I can trust her,' he thought as he squeezed the excess water out of his hair.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: Awwww! I get choked up when I picture the hardships little Inu went through *sniff* Anyway, I really like how this chapter came out, and I hope you do too. R+R! 


	7. Sango's Unlikely Companion

Disclaimer: I started writin' this story, but then I got high. I coulda' owned Inu yasha, but then I got high. Now the lawyers are gangin' up on me and I know why...Yea~h, cause I got high, cause I got high, cause I got high. La da da da da pa....(Oh, and I don't own the song either *sigh*)  
  
AN: I have a lot of fun when I write my disclaimers, can't you tell? ^_^ This chapter will focus on Sango...and when there's Sango, you gotta have Kirara and Miroku ^__~. Lot's of biting, fighting, and slappin' to come in this chapter, as well as more about Naraku's role. Enjoy!  
  
Houshi- Buddhist monk.  
  
Hiraikotsu- Flying bone.  
  
Kawaii- Cute.  
  
Hentai- I'll just say perverted, since this word can have a few bad meanings ^_^  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Six~Sango's Unlikely Companion  
  
Sango wiped the perspiration from her forehead as she continued on the trail that would lead her to her destination. All that could be heard around her was the crunching sound of the dead, yet colorful autumn leaves under her feet. After walking for two days, she wondered when she would ever reach Sesshoumaru's estate. She put her hand on the soul stealing scroll, contemplating what she soon would be doing.  
  
Hitching up the leather strap to her heavy boomerang to a more comfortable position, Sango stopped for a moment, sure that she heard something nearby. Cool, fearless eyes glanced around. Nothing seemed unusual. All she could see was the endless expanse of the forest before her, and glimmering beams of sunlight shining through the canopy of the trees, speckling the ground, as well as highlighting the yellow-greens and oranges of the leaves.  
  
'Maybe it was just the wind,' she thought as she continued at her original pace.  
  
Suddenly, she was knocked to the ground by some unknown force. Something was heavy on her chest...  
  
Her eyes closed tightly from the fall, Sango swallowed her rising fear and slowly began to open them. What she saw before was highly unexpected. A pair of bright red, slitted eyes stared back at her curiously as a cute little nose twitched, sniffing her out. It looked like a neko, however, she knew from the two tails that it was most definitely a youkai.  
  
Gently plucking the furry creature off of her chest, she placed it on her lap. How could such an adorable little thing have given her such a fright? Sango giggled at herself, and the youkai looked up at her, making a squeaky little noise. "You know, it's not polite to jump on strangers," she remarked as she gave in to her desire to pet it.  
  
*Purrrr*  
  
"Do you have a name?" she asked, then mentally slapped herself. Of course this type of youkai couldn't speak! "How about I give you a name? Let's see..."  
  
Sango placed her right index finger and her thumb on her chin, thinking of what name would be best suited for the neko youkai on her lap. Suddenly, she slapped her fist over the palm of her hand and triumphantly said," I got it! I'll call you Kirara, because that was the name of my first kitty when I was a little girl. You do sort of resemble her."  
  
Once again, she received a high squeak as a reply. Standing back up, Sango placed 'Kirara' on her shoulder. "Even though you're a youkai, I don't mind having a little company on this trip. Perhaps Naraku-Sama will allow me to keep you when I return to Saizen."  
  
**********  
  
After venturing through the darkening woods for another few hours with Kirara, Sango finally reached a small stream where she could take a nice, cool drink, as well as rest her tired legs.  
  
"Ah, nothing beats fresh spring water, ne kirara?"  
  
*Squeak*  
  
The two sat drinking in simple bliss. It was always enjoyable to just be one with nature. No worries, fighting, or political garbage. Just watching the little minnows in the stream was enough to put Sango at ease.  
  
"It's getting late, so we should stay around here for the night."  
  
Changing out of her taijiya outfit into a sleeping robe, she was all set to drift off into a hopefully good night's sleep. Then she pulled out her small leather bag, and procured from it a small rolled up blanket. Searching out a comfortable spot, Sango laid down, resting her head on her bag, which had a change of clothing in it, so it was a fairly descent pillow. Kirara rolled up into a warm little ball of fur on her stomach as she closed her eyes.  
  
**********  
  
The ever welcome face of the full moon sent milky waves of white light over the expanse of the sleepy forest, illuminating everything in an ethereal glow. It was by this light that the Houshi preferred to travel.  
  
After many unsuccessful trips to many crowded villages, the young man sighed in disappointment. So many beautiful women, yet none would grant him his seemingly innocent request...  
  
'Surely I will find someone who will bear my...,' suddenly he lost his train of thought. There before him lied a beautiful maiden. The pure light of the moon shone ever brighter off of her sleeping garment. A sly smile made its way onto his face as he glanced at the wondrous creature before him. 'The lord must be smiling down upon me, because it's not every day that a man finds a beautiful woman sleeping innocently on the cool ground within a dangerous forest such as this.'  
  
Temptation was hard to pass up as he bent down close to the sleeping beauty, eyeing her soft lips as the moonlight revealed them. He could feel her slow, gentle breathing close to his own as he closed the distance. Her warm lips were so soft...  
  
**********  
  
Sango was in a half-conscious state, not quite awake, yet not quite asleep. In the haziness of her confusion, she found that it was hard to breath.... As her eyes slowly fluttered open to reveal a strange man kissing her, she snapped to attention, letting her hand fly until she heard a satisfying 'smack!'  
  
"Owowowow!!!"  
  
*Sqeeeeaaaakkkk!!!!*  
  
"You heinous, loathsome, vile...!!!" Sango shouted in rage, now fully awake, and beating her fists upon the man in her presence. Kirara was busy biting his hand as hard as she could...  
  
"Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! Honto ni gomen nasai! I swear I'll never touch another sleeping beauty as long as I live! Please stop! Ow!" the Houshi yelled as he tried to get away from the ferocious pair.  
  
"Bite him till you draw blood! I won't tolerate such a pig!" Sango roared. The man could have sworn that her eyes glowed red...if he ever had a reason to be frightened, she was it!  
  
"Please my dear lady! Calm yourself! I truly meant no harm! I was only expressing my love for such a beauty as yourself!"  
  
Sango noticed the dark maroon and black outfit he was wearing, and the staff that was on the ground next to him...He was definitely a Houshi.  
  
"You lie! How can a Houshi be such a...such a hentai? Mark my words, if you ever touch me again, I WILL kill you."  
  
If looks could kill, the Houshi would have been instantly dead from the fiery woman's glare. At least she had stopped hitting him.  
  
'Ahh...the way her chest rises and falls with each deep breath...' the young man thought with a wicked grin.  
  
*Smack!*  
  
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE STARING AT!!!???"  
  
Brandished with another red hand mark to accompany his other cheek, the lecherous Houshi finally decided to act appropriately.  
  
"My name is Miroku. I'm a traveling Houshi who's been searching for someone to...never mind. Let's just say I have a mission."  
  
Sango moved at least ten feet away to keep her body at a safe distance from this 'Miroku' character. Perhaps she'd have to sleep up in trees from now on to protect herself...  
  
"Listen, I really don't care who you are, or what business you have with anyone. Now, if you will kindly leave, I'll spare your pathetic life," Sango said, trying not to lose her temper again.  
  
"I'm truly regretful for my actions. I don't know what came over me. However, I must say that you sure are tough for a female. What is your occupation? A taijiya, correct?" Miroku asked, trying to change the subject. Sango narrowed her eyes at him before giving an answer.  
  
"Yes. Now get out of my site."  
  
"Fine, fine. I know when I'm not wanted. I'll just take myself far, far away, where you'll never have to see me again."  
  
"Stop stalling, Houshi," Sango growled as she reached for her boomerang. Seeing the large weapon, Miroku took that as his que to get away from her as quickly as humanly possible.  
  
"Please do not remain angry for long, for I hope we shall meet again fair maiden!" he called as he quickly disappeared from whence he came.  
  
Sango sighed in relief as she put her weapon back up against the sturdy tree it was on before. 'What a weirdo.'  
  
Weary that he may come back, she remained awake for the rest of the night. When dawn broke, she dressed in her taijiya gear once more and set out with Kirara on her shoulder. Indeed, she was tired, but as long as she kept her chastity. 'Damn bastard! I never even knew people like that really existed!' she fumed in her thoughts.  
  
*Squeak!*  
  
"Kirara, what's wrong?"  
  
"Ano...funny we should run into each other again, ne?"  
  
Sango jumped at that familiar male voice...that Houshi bastard!  
  
"How dare you follow me! I'm gonna...!"  
  
"W-Wait! I only came to give this back to you!" he pleaded as he held up the soul stealing scroll. "I found this on the ground and figured it must be yours since only a taijiya would possess such a powerful thing..."  
  
Sango slowly walked up to Miroku, careful to avoid his untrustworthy hands.  
  
"That scroll is very important to me. Please give it back," she said seriously. As he extended his hand to give her the desired scroll, he suddenly pulled it back just as she reached for it, teasing her. "I said give it to me!"  
  
"Now that I think of it, you must be a pretty high ranking taijiya to be carrying one of these around. You really should be more careful with it, you know? I think I'll keep it. I can get a pretty penny for this..."  
  
Suddenly, Sango, feeling her rage begin to rise, lunged for it, leaving Miroku shocked as she pinned him to the ground.  
  
"Now, now! We only just met, and I don't even know your name!" Miroku exclaimed as he squirmed underneath her, trying to keep the scroll away from her hands. "Hey! Let's make a deal. You let me travel with you, and I'll give you this scroll in return, fair?"  
  
Sango stopped her attempt for the scroll and looked him directly in the eyes, still straddling him. "I will accept the scroll, however, if you travel with me, you're likely to jeopardize your own life, as well as mine."  
  
Miroku caught a hint of fear coming from the girl. Then again, she must of been on one hell of a youkai hunting mission if she carried a soul stealing scroll.  
  
"I'm not as weak as I look...ah..."  
  
"Sango is my name."  
  
Then Sango got off of the Houshi and he willingly gave her the scroll. "Since my mission is likely to fail again, I have nothing better to do than to accompany you. After all, I am trained in the arts of exorcism, etc., since I AM a Houshi, and it's against my religion to leave a beautiful woman to the perils of the youkai," he said with a gentle look in his deep, violet eyes. He actually could be charming when he wanted to.  
  
Sango was suspicious. Why would a lech suddenly become a gentleman? No, she didn't trust him as far as she could throw her hiraikotsu, yet there was something about him that she was attracted to...  
  
"You can come along on one condition."  
  
"I'm listening," he replied.  
  
"You will respect my personal space, or suffer the consequences."  
  
"As you wish...Sango."  
  
*Squeak*  
  
"Kirara will not hesitate to rip you to shreds," Sango warned as she patted the youkai's little head, "since this type of youkai is known to take on a much more fearsome form."  
  
Without another word, Sango gathered her fallen things and turned back to the woodland path. The morning was still young as birds sang their melancholy tunes and go about their lives in a never ending cycle.  
  
'Soon I'll be facing him. Very soon,' Sango thought as she stepped over another tree root. She could hear Miroku right behind her, twigs snapping beneath his sandals. Her attention suddenly shifted from killing Sesshoumaru, to the man behind her. Now that she thinks of it, what exactly is his 'mission?'  
  
"Ne, Houshi-Sama, what is your so-called mission? I'm curious to know."  
  
Miroku stopped in his tracks and Sango turned to face him. He took a step closer to her and she could see an almost pained look on his face. Then he held up his left hand, which Sango noticed had a maroon cloth and a rosary wrapped around it.  
  
"My family has been cursed by a youkai lord long ago, and therefore, I will not live for too much longer."  
  
Sango flinched at hearing that. What was this curse? Her curiosity was peaked.  
  
"I have an air void in this hand. It can suck anything into a timeless void whenever I remove the rosary beads. You may think this is all a clever excuse, but since I know I won't live much longer, I have been trying to find someone to..."  
  
"'Someone to' what?" she asked, as he suddenly grabbed both of her hands.  
  
"Sango, will you bear my child?"  
  
*Squeak?*  
  
*Slap*  
  
"I see...so you want to have a child to continue your lineage. Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not available," Sango stated, blushing a bit at hearing those words said to her so sincerely.  
  
"Ahem. However, before my father died, he told me that there was one way to break the curse. I have to find the youkai that created it, and destroy it. Of course, I have no idea where to look to find this beast. It is said to take on many froms...that's how my grandfather became it's victim to the curse. You see, he was a bit, um..."  
  
"Lecherous?"  
  
"Exactly. Sharp, aren't you? The youkai supposedly turned into a gorgeous woman, and of course, he fell for it, hook, line, and sinker."  
  
Miroku rubbed the back of his neck and laughed at the thought. "I guess lechery runs in the family!"  
  
"No kidding," Sango giggled. He wasn't so bad after all, even if he was a hentai. "Ah, I have one last question. Do you know the name of this youkai?"  
  
"I have heard that he calls himself Naraku, but I'm not positive."  
  
'Naraku?! That can't be...'  
  
Sango's face showed a look of disbelief and confusion, Miroku noted as he watched her.  
  
"Do you recognize that name? You look like it has some significance to you."  
  
"N-Never mind. It can't be the same person I'm thinking of," Sango replied nervously.  
  
"You know someone by that name? Where is he?!" Miroku was suddenly a fearsome sight to behold. Sango could feel his emotions as he realized Naraku was indeed around somewhere.  
  
"Naraku is the name of my master...ah, I mean, he's the leader of my village, Saizen. But he can't be a youkai! He's just as human as you or I! Besides, what youkai would be foolish enough to become the leader of the most feared youkai hunting villages in Edo? Just forget I even mentioned him." Sango didn't want Miroku to get any radical ideas to murder her lord...no, Naraku couldn't be a youkai.  
  
"Listen Sango, Naraku has power to take any form, and even the most skilled of youkai taijiya can't tell him from an ordinary human. You have to take me to Saizen to find him! If you don't, you'll be making a huge mistake. He's a threat to everyone, human and youkai alike. Please understand." Miroku was serious, a rare sight indeed for Sango, who so far had only seen his light hearted, and lecherous sides.  
  
Brushing a stray strand of hair away from her eyes, Sango stood silent for a moment. She had a mission to accomplish, one that her whole family depended on. She had no time to accuse her master of being a youkai. For all she knew, Miroku was lying. After all, she just met him. Who knew what he was really like. Finally, she decided to speak up.  
  
"Listen, if you want to take on my master, best of luck to you, but I will take no part in it. I have my own mission to accomplish, so if you excuse me, Houshi-Sama, I shall be on my way."  
  
"Fine, Do what you must, but when we return to Saizen...yes, we, I'm going with you...We will see Naraku's true colors."  
  
"Fine, But don't interfere with my job."  
  
Miroku gave Sango a small smile and a nod, then, the two continued walking in silence, both absorbing all the information they've received. It seemed things would get more interesting for the both of them. Would they be strong enough to handle Naraku if he indeed is who Miroku says he is? Only time will tell.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: Hmmm...it seems Naraku is up to no good, ne? And about romance, again, I'm not good at writing it, but I'm working at it, I swear! Kagome and Inu Yasha will come through eventually! The Sesshy/Rin and Sango/Miroku couples may not be as important, since three romance pairs in a fic of this length is pretty hard for me to swing. But, I will do my best! All you gotta do is review ^_~ 


	8. Traveling With Sesshoumaru

Disclaimer: Little Miss Otaku sat with Naraku, reading her fics all day. Then along came a lawyer, by the name of Sawyer, and frightened Miss Otaku away ^_^ But she came back, stuck him with a tack, and wrote this fic anyway! (I give credit to the poem "Miss Muffet" for this one).  
  
AN: Put a Mother Goose book in front of me, and that's the kind of disclaimers you get ^_^. Anyway, I know there's been a lot of jumping around between characters, but soon they will meet. This chapter gets back to Rin and Sesshoumaru, since we miss them, ne? Also, I know I didn't mention this, but I originally started writing this fic with one goal in mind: To obtain at least 100 reviews. Yeah, I know it sounds egotistical, but they really do inspire me to write. I love all of you who've reviewed ^_^, so don't stop! On another note, I just finished reading volume 9 of the Inu Yasha graphic novels...ooohhh, so good! It gave me inspiration for some good Inu/Kag fluff I can throw into the story later. Now, on to chapter 7!  
  
~~~~~~ - Flashback.  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Seven~Traveling With Sesshoumaru  
  
Rin yawned loudly as she stretched her arms and legs, greeting the new day with a content smile. She was alive again! And it was all thanks to the mysterious youkai lord, Sesshoumaru, however questionable his motives may have been.  
  
'I should thank him again,' Rin thought to herself as she rose up from the futon she had slept on, carefully fixing it to look as neat as it did when she first arrived. She noticed a clean kimono with orange and yellow checker-like patterns all over. There was a green obi set next to it as well to tie the kimono closed. Removing her clean white sleeping robe, which a servant of Sesshoumaru's had also given to her, she began to change.  
  
Rin felt a strange sense of anticipation. What would she discover about the handsomely dangerous youkai lord on her travels with him? Was he even trustworthy? And more importantly, why did he bring her back to life if she was considered to be a 'worthless mortal' to him? She hoped he wouldn't turn on her when he didn't need her anymore. Perhaps she could even get him to help her with her own mission...Of course, that might take a bit of doing, she thought with a sigh.  
  
Was it fate that she ran into him last night? Someone with the power to revive lost lives? Somehow, she felt like she wanted to get closer to him. To learn more about him. So much more. Perhaps she could learn more about the Inu youkai from him if he would be willing to tell her, which she somehow doubted.  
  
Cautiously, Rin slid open the shoji rice paper door and exited the room. She wanted to explore the place a bit before she set out with the lord of Western Lands. He had warned his people of her presence, so she was safe in case any of the Inu youkai got the idea to harm her in any way. From what she did already see, her curiosity was peaked. She needed to see more. Noticing that nobody was around, she began to move quietly down the spacious hallway. She knew there were many Inu youkai in the estate, but they must have been resigned to their sleeping chambers. Perhaps she would meet one that would answer some of her many questions...  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Rin relayed in her mind everything that had happened since she was led to this place. The moonlight had revealed to her the place where the Inu youkai's most respected lord lived. She could feel that the place had a long history with many happy moments, triumphant moments, and remorseful moments as well.  
  
It had been late that night when she first arrived in her bloody, filthy kimono. Sesshoumaru had revived her, then requested that she accompany him to find Inu Yasha, with a few threats thrown in, but still, it wasn't such a bad deal. It was better than death.  
  
However, the questions still lingered in the back of her mind: If Sesshoumaru was an Inu youkai lord, why would he need her help to locate Inu Yasha? After all, she hadn't the faintest clue as to where the hanyou could possibly be since last she saw him. Couldn't the youkai lord simply use his keen sense of smell to track him down? Furthermore, she wondered what Sesshoumaru's relation was to Inu Yasha. Perhaps Inu Yasha was his cousin? Or a brother? Who could tell? All she knew is that they resembled each other.  
  
Rin decided to push those questionable thoughts to the back of her mind for the time being. After all, who would answer them? Sesshoumaru didn't seem like a very sociable person, so divulging information from him was not her top priority. When she finally entered the estate, her thoughts quickly changed to another subject: How incredible the place was!  
  
She hadn't seen much of his 'youkai palace', but what she did see impressed her. The fact that it was a four story tall pagoda surrounded by smaller complexes was breathtaking enough, but when she got to feast her eyes on the inside, she wondered why even some high ranking human lords didn't live so well. There were many antique treasures adorning the walls, like fans, scrolls, even the finest of hand crafted blades that she had ever seen. There was furniture covered in fine Chinese silk, rugs with beautiful embroidery of dragons and mountains, as well as ming pottery, also from China, which made Rin's breath catch in her throat, especially when she glanced in the direction of one wall that had a large painting on it that really caught her eye.  
  
Deep, rich tones stood out from a washed looking background. A large and fierce Inu youkai raced through the clouds high above a village, as if to claim the whole thing as his own. The painting was surreal, Rin thought as she looked closely at the Inu youkai in it's truest form, a Hennyo form. It was beautiful, and yet frightening, to think that someone like Sesshoumaru could transform into such a ferocious beast.  
  
"That is a portrait of my father, the now deceased Inu Taishou."  
  
Rin was startled by the unsuspected company. She didn't even hear him walk up behind her! This youkai was even stealthier than she was!  
  
"Y-You said this was your father? You must be kidding! Inu Taishou was YOUR father? That's amazing!" Rin stammered. Truly, it was an amazing feeling to be near someone directly related to such a honorable mention as Inu Taishou himself. She had even heard that he once fell in love with a human woman of nobility. Truly, he was a youkai that defied every law of the land in the current era. Was this youkai before her nearly as great and powerful as his father?  
  
"I advise that you rest for the evening. We will be journeying for as long as it takes for me to locate the hanyou, and I do not want to hear prattle about being tired or fatigued from you, human," he said in a cool, yet cold tone.  
  
'What is with this guy? He's even moodier than me at a certain time of the month!' she regarded, obediently starting towards the room he had pointed out to her as hers. The thought of him being 'great' flew out the window, and was replaced with 'rude.'  
  
Once Rin was in the room and closed the door, she found the futon to be quite comfortable, as opposed to her old one back in what once was Kinryoku, Rin softly sighed as her heavy eye lids drooped closed and a serene darkness greeted her.  
  
'Perhaps he isn't so bad...' she thought as sleep took over.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
'Haaah... This place is huge!' Rin thought to herself as she continued to navigate around many corners, through halls and rooms, taking in each sight with curiosity and awe. She had finally ran into a few Inu youkai, some of which seemed to ignore her completely as if she wasn't there. Others glared at her with disgust. Of course, she was only a human, so she expected that they would disapprove of her presence.  
  
Only one didn't ignore her, nor look upon her with contempt, but something else that she couldn't place. He was tall, and wore a deep navy blue kimono, topped off with fierce looking armor, not quite like Sesshoumaru's. His hair was long, but messy and tangled looking. He had four red stripes on his right cheek, looking almost like bloody claw marks. The very sight of him sent shivers down her spine.  
  
The next thing she knew, he was gone. Rin kept observing the others, however, as she kept exploring further, she was soon alone again.  
  
'All of them seem to have golden eyes and silver hair, but the patterns of stripes on their faces are all unique,' Rin thought. It seemed only Sesshoumaru had the purple crescent moon mark. Perhaps that marked him as the lord among the others?  
  
*Click, clack, clank*  
  
Suddenly, Rin stopped dead in her tracks. Something was nearby, and she doubted it was Sesshoumaru, or even another Inu youkai. Slowly turning a corner towards the source of the unusual sound, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a hideous, green, lumpy little creature hobbling towards her with a large staff, adorned with two heads at it's top.  
  
"Eeeeeek!!!"  
  
"Waaaaah!!! What is a female wench like you doing in milord's estate?! He would never stoop so low as his old man and take a human as a concubine!" the toad-like creature sputtered as he accusingly pointed his staff at the newly angered Rin. "I shall do milord the favor of ridding his home of such a pest! The flames from this staff of heads will burn even your bones to ashes! HA!"  
  
Suddenly, flames came shooting out of the open mouth of the old man's head atop the staff. Rin then felt strong arms around her, and to her surprise and relief, Sesshoumaru had saved her...again!  
  
"A-Arigatou!" Rin blushed as the enigmatic youkai put her down safely.  
  
"S-Sesshoumaru-Sama...it can't be true! This mortal really is your bed mate?"  
  
*Whack!* *Smack!* *Crack!*  
  
"Say that again, Jaken, and I'll slice off your head with my poison claw," he threatened, bearing the long, sharp instruments of death to his groveling retainer.  
  
"Gomen nasai, Sesshoumaru-Sama! Forgive me for ever making such a horrid assumption! I'll never do it again, milord!"  
  
"Now, make yourself useful and gather food for our journey."  
  
"H-Hai! Right away milord!!!" the toad youkai stuttered as he scrambled towards the kitchen area.  
  
"The nerve of that creepy little...! Accusing ME of being some sleazy little concubine!" Rin fumed as she watched the pathetic retainer scuttle off, still angry from his last remarks. How could someone as regal as Sesshoumaru stand to have such a lousy servant?  
  
"Only a 'sleazy' youkai would bed a human. Such useless creatures they are..."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"If you want to eat before we leave, I suggest you follow Jaken to the kitchen. I know that all human weaklings need food to fuel their efforts," he said, looking down upon Rin with disgust among other things.  
  
Rin's view of the youkai dropped a couple of notches more at that last remark. So, he really did despise humans, otherwise, he wouldn't be speaking of them with such contempt. But still, if he hated her, why did he save her just now?  
  
"So, you're calling your father 'sleazy?' Rin angrily asked, but soon she felt sharp claws dangerously close to her throat.  
  
"You best learn to hold your tongue, wench, otherwise I will end up killing you."  
  
Rin felt stab of fear as she gazed into the man's piercing golden eyes. He was serious, and she knew that making a wrong move around him could cost her her life. No, he certainly wasn't like the Inu Taishou she had heard of in stories and legends. He was a cold-hearted beast that hated her simply because she was a human. And apparently, he hated hearing about his father with a human woman.  
  
Releasing her from his grip, Sesshoumaru turned around coldly and started to walk in the direction of his bedchamber. His anger was nearly tangible as Rin watched him leave.  
  
'Why? Why do you hate humans so? If you can't stand us, then you must also hate hanyous...' Rin thought as she slowly walked towards the kitchen. Then she stopped again, another idea working its way into her mind.  
  
"Wait! If he's going to use me to track down Inu Yasha...would he be planning to kill him?" she asked aloud, in a frightening realization.  
  
"Come and eat wench! Else milord decides to eat you!" shouted the raspy voice of Jaken.  
  
Rin didn't feel much of an appetite at that moment. All she knew was that she had to get away from this place. She couldn't trust Sesshoumaru after all. 'I'll never lead him to Inu Yasha if he's going to kill him! What a jerk!'  
  
As she entered the large rustic dining room, she quietly sat, ignoring the glares from the toad youkai, and managed to eat a bit of the steamy soup in front of her.  
  
"Why are you here, wench? Of what purpose does Sesshoumaru-Sama need you?" asked Jaken in an icy voice.  
  
"I do not know. However, even if I did, I will not oblige in answering questions from a rude fellow that doesn't even have the decency of learning a lady's name!" Rin yelled as she stood up quickly, and rushed out of the room, intent on getting as far away from the toad and Sesshoumaru as she could.  
  
'I'm so foolish! How could I have even thought for a minute that Sesshoumaru might have been a decent youkai? Just because he revived me? Revived me to use me?' Rin sunk into her thoughts as despair took hold of her. 'I need to save my village, not play tour guide for him to find the hanyou that I risked her very life to save!'  
  
Close to the exit, Rin ran as fast as she could, not expecting to run into another Inu youkai. She cried out as she nearly fell over from the impact, but a clawed hand grabbed her wrists and held her firmly up.  
  
"My, my...What do we have here? I came to chat about boring old politics with my dear cousin Sesshoumaru, yet I find thee. A beautiful young vixen...I noticed you here earlier. Could it be that he has claimed you? He really is following in his father's footsteps...ha, ha, ha. How ironic," the man chuckled as he pulled Rin closer and seemed to inhale her scent. Trying to push away, Rin had a bad feeling about this man with dulled, yellow eyes and long, scraggly silver hair. He was the one from before!  
  
"Please let me go! I haven't done anything with anyone! Nor do I intend to do anything with you!" Rin shouted as she tried to pry the youkai's sweaty hands off of her wrists. What was with these Inu youkai and 'claiming' women?  
  
"I see no mark on your neck. Heh, heh...Guess that means your up for grabs..." he snarled, licking his lips as he suddenly hoisted Rin up and over his right shoulder with little effort.  
  
"Put me down! Hey!!!" Rin screamed as she punched and kicked with all her might, however, since he was much stronger, her efforts were to no avail. The youkai began to run outside of the mansion-like estate. All Rin could see were the colors of autumn leaves zooming past in a blur as the creature carried her off against her will.  
  
'How can this be happening to me?' Rin sulked as she tried to push her worst fear from her mind, 'I would've been better off dead than dealing with these brutes!'  
  
"You may have Sesshoumaru's scent on you, but since he hasn't marked you, I shall be the one to claim you. I've been a bit...lonely lately, and I wouldn't mind the attentions of a lovely female, human or not. Ha, ha, ha, ha! What luck!" the youkai laughed sadistically as he dropped Rin hard on the ground underneath a large weeping willow tree. "Before I proceed, allow me to introduce myself. I am called Hajime. Now, let's begin, shall we?"  
  
"Don't you dare touch me!" Rin protested as the youkai began to remove his armor and haori. He suddenly grabbed her wrist again and forced his lips upon Rin's in a bruising kiss. Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled under his strong hold.  
  
Then she used the next best tactic she could think of...she bit down hard on his lower lip, so hard she could feel his warm blood ooze into her mouth, a sickening flavor it had...  
  
His head jolted away from hers and he quickly smacked her across her face with one hand, while wiping the blood off with the other.  
  
"Damn bitch! You'll regret that you ever did that! I was going to be gentle with you, but now I just may rip you apart when I'm through with you!" Rin trembled as she saw his eyes turn a frightening red color. He was serious!  
  
"Kyaa!!!" Rin screamed as he dug his claws into her right shoulder, drawing her own blood. With his other hand, he tried to open her kimono, however, Rin sent her leg up just right, and it connected painfully with his groin. She then rolled out from under him and tried to stand up and run.  
  
"N-Not so fast wench!" he growled as he grabbed her ankle and yanked her down again. "I like feisty women, but if they get too feisty...I like the sounds of their screams as I shred them to pieces!!!" he roared as he raised a clawed hand and prepared to deal Rin a final blow.  
  
'Somebody, please help me!'  
  
Suddenly, Hajime's wrist was caught in a strong grip, and as his flesh started melting, he quickly realized that Sesshoumaru had caught him.  
  
"What do you think you're doing, Hajime?" asked the indifferent voice of the youkai lord. "Did I not give word that this woman is not to be harmed, or did you simply not understand?" He squeezed his wrist tighter, causing the youkai to wince in pain as poison seeped further into him.  
  
"G-Gomen nasai, I promise I'll never touch her again! Just let go of my wrist before my hand breaks off!" Hajime howled. Sesshoumaru let him go, but cast a glance that said, 'next time, you die.'  
  
As the Inu ran off with his tail in between his legs, Sesshoumaru then turned to the girl, who was crying while holding her bloody shoulder.  
  
"I'll need to patch up that wound before we leave. Come with me back to my quarters."  
  
Rin wiped her tears and glanced up at the youkai. For a moment he looked concerned. She stood up, trying to ignore the pain, and she followed him. 'He saved me for a third time...I-I don't know what to think of him. He can be so cold, yet he seems concerned for me at the same time. How confusing,' Rin thought as she walked beside him.  
  
Entering his room, Rin noticed that it was just as luxurious as the rest of the building, but it seemed to have a more tranquil atmosphere. Rin watched as he went into a wash room to attain the materials he needed to clean and patch her wound. A minute later he came back out with a small ivory basin filled with water, a cloth, as well as material like a bandage. He motioned for her to sit down on his futon as he prepared to treat her.  
  
"Open your kimono and show me your shoulder," he instructed. Rin blushed a bit as she complied. Sliding the blood-covered material down off of her shoulder, she gasped in pain. Sesshoumaru dipped the cloth into the water, then carefully wrung out the excess. "This may sting a bit, so hold still."  
  
"Hai," she replied weakly. For some reason her heart was beating too quickly. She was worried that he could hear it, for it seemed so loud in her own ears.  
  
Ever so gently, he cleaned the wound. He was surprised that she wasn't crying and carrying on like other human women were known to do when injured. In fact, she wasn't like any human he had ever come across. Her scent, aside from Hajime's which lingered on her, was pleasant, like the scent of cherry blossoms. He could sense that her heart was racing fast, and he knew she was embarrassed. The blush on her cheeks proved it. Her skin was soft, he noted as he began to wrap the bandage over her shoulder and under her arm.  
  
She was careful to keep herself covered from his piercing gaze. Being this close to him made her realize just how handsome he really was. She was almost tempted to trace the stripes on his cheeks with her finger, but she restrained herself as he finally finished treating her wound. "Ano...arigatou gozaimasu."  
  
'What am I thinking? He's not supposed to be this...this...nice.'  
  
"I'll get you another kimono, so wait here until I return," he said coolly as he picked up his things and put them aside. Then he left the room, as well as Rin to her thoughts.  
  
**********  
  
As Sesshoumaru walked towards the seamstresses' room, he smiled slightly as he thought to himself, 'This could work. With this woman around, when I find Inu Yasha, I should be able to use the Tetsusaiga once I take it from him. Humph, leave it to father to put such an enchantment on his most fearsome blade. Only the heart that can protect humans can utilize the sword. If my father's wench, Yukiko, hadn't taken it for Inu Yasha, I wouldn't have to go through all of this trouble. I guess I'm lucky that wench ran into me last night. If I protect her, then I most certainly will wield the Tetsusaiga. There's no other way I can beat those taijiya bastards if I don't obtain that power.'  
  
"Back already, Sesshoumaru-Sama?" cooed a sweet voice of an elderly Inu youkai mistress. Her wrinkled face was kind and wise with her age.  
  
"I need another kimono for the human. She had a little run in with Hajime."  
  
"I see. So is this the girl you plan to use to obtain your father's treasure sword?"  
  
"I believe so. In a way, Hajime just brought the wench a bit closer to me."  
  
The elderly youkai looked pointedly at him for a moment before handing him a new kimono. "Sesshoumaru-Sama, merely protecting a human may not be enough. You need to have love in your heart. Without it, you may never be able to use the true power of the Tetsusaiga. Inu Yasha is also going to prove himself to be quite a challenge."  
  
"How's that? He's just a weak hanyou."  
  
"True, but if he truly is as weak as you say, then how is it that he has survived all these years in this dangerous war-tainted era? Perhaps he has mastered the Tetsusaiga himself," she added as an afterthought.  
  
"I doubt it. He probably only knows how to turn the blade into it's fang form. And I'm sure he hasn't found any human to..." Then Sesshoumaru suddenly recalled something Rin had said the night before she died...  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"You know him? I am the one who got him out of Saizen the night he was captured. The last I saw of him, he was in Kinryoku with my friend, Kagome...."  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"On second thought, I may be wrong. I must leave now. The more time I waste..."  
  
"I understand, Sesshoumaru-Sama. Please, be careful. Oh, and do have some respect for Inu Yasha. Although you may hate him, it is not his fault for being born a hanyou." The youkai lord grimaced at the thought of respecting that worthless half-brother. Many painful events had occurred in his life because of that whelp.  
  
Taking the kimono, Sesshoumaru exited the small weaving room, quickly going back to Rin.  
  
**********  
  
As Sesshoumaru entered his room, Rin glanced up at him expectantly.  
  
"Ano...Sesshoumaru, gomen nasai..."  
  
"What are you apologizing for?" he asked. This human was strange indeed.  
  
"If I hadn't run off like that...none of this would've happened. But, I've decided to go along with you. However, when we find Inu Yasha, I will not take any part in his death if that's what you have planned. As a matter of fact, I may even try to stop you," Rin said, with a small, brave smile.  
  
Sesshoumaru grinned at the woman. She was very perceptive, but she didn't know his real motive. Killing Inu Yasha would be his top priority given the situation, but he needed the Tetsusaiga. True, he hated Inu Yasha for many reasons, but he would never kill him. If he had wanted to, he would've destroyed the pup and his mother long ago, but instead, he just abandoned them to the rest of the world. That was the only bit of respect he would show to his father. Let the human and the hanyou live their miserable existence's together.  
  
"Enough of this prattle. Put this on. I will be waiting outside the door, then when you're finished, we shall leave on A'un."  
  
Rin did as she was told and soon was walking beside Sesshoumaru, wondering what 'A'un' was.  
  
She soon found out as she was led outside, where a large, scaly, two-headed youkai awaited them. Sesshoumaru motioned for her to climb up onto it's back as he seated himself in the front. When the creature lifted up, Sesshoumaru was amused by Rin's sudden surprised gasp.  
  
"I didn't know this thing could fly! This'll be fun," she smiled, noticing the estate growing tiny in the distance below her as the youkai soared ever higher. Rin enjoyed the feeling of the cool wind in her hair, and she giggled when she felt Sesshoumaru's fluffy white tail brush up against her face, tickling her as the winds blew it to and fro.  
  
"What are you laughing at?"  
  
"N-Nothing!"  
  
Sesshoumaru decided to ignore the strange antics of the human behind him. He had a feeling it was going to be a looong trip! 'All for the Tetsusaiga...,' he reminded himself, although for some reason he felt a small pang of guilt. He was using her, but why was that bothering him now? No, he would not go soft like his father. The love of the human race would be the death of all youkai. That was the rule of nature, and one rule that he wasn't willing to break...  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: Sesshy is stubborn, ne? Will his plan to get the Tetsusaiga work? Well, knowing Inu Yasha...Ho, ho, ho...you'll see! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, since I love writing about Sesshy and Rin ^_^ Of course I couldn't resist a fluffy-tail scene, too. Anyway, I hope you liked the fluffiness, and don't forget to help me with my 100 review goal!  
  
Otaku-Chan ^_~ 


	9. Mistaken Identity

Disclaimer: Inu Yasha and Co. ain't mine. I be cryin', fists be flyin', and lawyers be dyin'.  
  
AN: Phew! I finally got over the writer's block! And, as promised, I give credit to these people who helped me, as well as gave me some good ideas: Sabishii, Brittney a.k.a Hoshi Mizuriu, and Demon-Rai-Chan. Thanks guys! Now, without further ado...  
  
Hakama- The kind of pants Inu Yasha wears.  
  
Ara- An expression kind of like 'oh my...' or 'well, well...'  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Eight~Mistaken Identity  
  
As the sun began to rise and reflect off the sparkling morning dew, the sleepy village began to awaken as well. Today was the day Lord Naraku would assign slaves to everyone in Saizen out of those captured from Kinryoku.  
  
Kohaku wiped the sleepiness from his eyes as he got out of bed. His parents had given him word that they would be receiving a new 'house servant' that day. He felt a sickening feeling at that thought. How could people treat other human beings like objects or servants? It wasn't right!  
  
'I'm sure that Sango Nee-Chan would have something to say about this...'  
  
Putting on his best haori and hakama outfit, Kohaku made a steady pace towards the kitchen. Since Sango wasn't home, he had to be the brave one.  
  
"Ara, Kohaku, you look nice. In a few hours we have to report to the village square," his mother said as she sipped her morning tea. His father was busy putting on his best armor. Even though they were a poor family, they did have dress for special or important occasions.  
  
"It's wrong," Kohaku stated as he held his head low. Both of his parents looked up at him in confusion, then sad understanding.  
  
"Listen son, I know as well as the next man that it's wrong, however, since Lord Naraku has decreed that every member of this village is to take in a slave, we have no choice. Besides, whoever we get, you know we will treat them with respect. We are all human beings..."  
  
"But what about the youkai and hanyous from Kinryoku? What will happen to them? They'll all be killed! Lord Naraku won't take pity on them, will he?" Kohaku cried as he looked up at the worried expressions written all over his parents faces.  
  
"Lord Naraku stated that no one, be they youkai, hanyou, or human, would be harmed the day we took over their village...," Kohaku's father began.  
  
"Can't you see that he's up to something? Have you forgotten the law that if anyone from Kinryoku is captured, they'd be killed? Why would Lord Naraku suddenly change that?"  
  
"Kohaku! Watch what you say! If someone were to be outside our hut and hear you..."  
  
"Why? Because we live under a sadistic dictator? I don't care if anyone hears! Lord Naraku should set the Kinryoku villagers free! This whole war is ridiculous and I want it to end!" Kohaku then felt a smack across his face, and he saw the anger in his father's eyes.  
  
"Listen boy, we're barely making a living as it is. True that Lord Naraku is pulling some strings, but we're in no position to complain. Do you want us to be seen as traitors to this taijiya village? Do you want to be a slave yourself, or worse yet, be executed? Your mother and I are only doing what we have to do to survive! This is the way things are, so you better learn to accept them."  
  
"Kohaku, we don't like the war any more than you do, but in this village we seem to thrive on it. I know that sounds horrible, but it's true. The only reason us taijiya are so successful is because this wretched war made us into what we are. We live to hunt youkai, and any humans that side with their kind are our enemies. It has been that way for generations, and if we want to live to see tomorrow, we have no choice but to follow the ways of the taijiya. Do you understand?" his mother wept.  
  
Kohaku was beyond angry at the moment. His parents were just going to sit back and let things continue the way they have been without even trying to make a difference? If everyone thought that way, the war surely would never come to an end! Then, he pushed aside the bamboo straw door to leave the hut, "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back on time, so don't worry about it."  
  
His mother sighed. "What are we going to do about him? He may get us all into trouble with the law of Saizen."  
  
"Let him be for now. I'm sure the kid has some sense. He won't do anything foolish."  
  
Meanwhile, Kohaku was cooling off his temper in his favorite place. He sat next to a small pond which he came to often whenever he needed to get away from it all. It seemed it was the only place where there was no war, no hatred, nothing. Only the peaceful flow of the cold water and nature.  
  
Looking around the ground, he spied a small, flat pebble. He picked it up, and with a flick of his wrist, he flung it at the pond, happily watching it skip over the water three times before it sunk to the bottom. He continued by throwing another until he heard a nearby bush rustling, and...crying?  
  
Kohaku stood up and walked over to the source of the sounds, and there he found, crouched behind a tall bush, a young boy of about six crying.  
  
"Ano, what's wrong?" Kohaku asked, snapping the boy to attention.  
  
"P-Please don't hurt me! I didn't do anything!" the boy wept. Kohaku then knew that the boy must've been from Kinryoku.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. My name is Kohaku, what's yours?"  
  
The boy looked up to Kohaku and wiped his tears. "My name is Souta...Higurashi, Souta."  
  
"Ah, nice to meet you..." Kohaku said while scratching the back of his head. Then he got to the point. "You're one of the prisoners from Kinryoku, right? How'd you get out here without being caught?"  
  
Souta stood up, brushed himself off, and turned to the older boy. He seemed trustworthy, he thought. "When my family and I were brought to the village, I hid under one of the carriages when the taijiya men were unloading the people...I ran away when nobody was looking. I-I want to save my mama and grandpa, but I can't! Why did this have to happen?" he said in a crumbling voice as a fresh batch of tears worked their way into his eyes.  
  
Suddenly, Kohaku placed a hand on the trembling boy's shoulder as he declared, " I'll help you."  
  
**********  
  
"Are you insane?! If we go to Saizen, we'll be killed before we even know what hit us!" Kagome yelled as she tugged on the hanyou's furry ears.  
  
"Let go wench! The only way we're gonna save your people is to kill the Lord of Saizen. Besides, I have my own grudge against that jack ass that sentenced me to death! I'll go there and rip him apart, then the taijiya will be without their Lord and have no choice but to release your people!" Inu Yasha argued as he wrenched Kagome off his ears.  
  
"Fine! Just waltz in there without any descent plan and get yourself killed. See if I care!" Kagome huffed as she walked back into Kaede's hut.  
  
"You ARE a baka!" Shippo barked as he bopped Inu Yasha in the head.  
  
*Bonk!* *Wham!*  
  
"Owowowowow!!!! You jerk! You didn't have to hit ME!" the kitsune cried.  
  
"Keh! I don't have time to deal with your nonsense. Go tell Kagome that I'm leaving, with, or without her."  
  
Suddenly, Kagome appeared from behind the bamboo straw door, looking surprised. "Inu Yasha, you actually said my name..."  
  
"So? Why does it matter?" he asked, ears twitching in curiosity. The girl certainly was unusual, caring about such a trivial thing.  
  
"Perhaps it means you want to be a bit friendlier with me, that's all."  
  
"Keh! What gives you that idea?"  
  
"Listen! I know you think you're all high and mighty, but if you don't treat me a little nicer, I'll NEVER take the rosary off of you."  
  
"And I'll let your family die at the hands of Naraku."  
  
Kagome was hurt by that last remark. How could he be so insensitive?  
  
"Inu Yasha..."  
  
Seeing the fierce look in her eyes, he suddenly feared the worst. She'd sit him a hundred times for what he just said! 'Damn! I always end up saying the wrong thing when I'm angry!' he thought as he braced himself for the impact.  
  
To his surprise, she merely grabbed her bag of supplies and started walking towards the clearing at the edge of the village, not saying another word. Inu Yasha knew she decided to go alone, and he felt horrible realizing how much his words hurt her. 'I always end up pushing others away with my thoughtless words," he thought as he raced off to follow her.  
  
Shippo stood on the step, confused by the behavior of Inu Yasha and Kagome. Why did they always have to fight?  
  
"Don't worry Shippo. Those two will resolve all of their conflicts eventually. That Kagome, when I look in her eyes I can see it."  
  
Shippo glanced up at Kaede, very confused. "See what?"  
  
"That girl is no ordinary miko. When she's near it's almost as if she's purifying the very souls of everyone around her. Even Inu Yasha has been effected by her. Minus the incident that just took place, he seems calmer when she's around him, especially last night when he returned from the hot springs. He had a different look in his eyes...a look of relief, as well as peace. Perhaps Kagome is the reincarnation of Midoriko herself."  
  
"Eh? Who's Midoriko? What do you mean?" Shippo asked.  
  
"Midoriko was the only person who ever came close to ending this bloody war. She was a powerful miko from the South with a unique ability to purify souls. Unlike ordinary mikos, Midoriko could single handily take on an army of youkai, or humans, and miraculously soothe their raging souls with her purifying powers. She brought peace wherever she went, and many people worshipped her as a Goddess. Nobody knows exactly how she died, but it is said that one day, an ominous dark force overtook her, and she lost all of her powers."  
  
"Then what happened?"  
  
"She died shortly afterward from unknown causes. That was over one hundred years ago, just before the war was in full motion. I'm sure that if Midoriko had lived, she could've changed the hearts of humans and youkai alike. There would probably be no war today."  
  
"Demo, Kaede-Bachan, what was the dark force that killed her? Is it still around today? Was it a youkai?" Shippo asked, his curiosity and worry peaked.  
  
"I do not know, Shippo, however, if Kagome is Midoriko's reincarnation, I'm sure that the evil will resurface and try to destroy her as well. I can sense that a dark future awaits that child. I only pray that she will be ready to face her fate when the time comes. Maybe she and Inu Yasha will fight it together as one."  
  
"But they fight like cat and dog! How will they be able to fight anything if they can't stop fighting each other?" asked Shippo with an incredulous look.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha! You may be too young to notice, but all their fighting is merely the steps towards eventual attraction. When I was Kagome's age, Inu Yasha was still too untrustworthy of me, even though we were friends. I have a feeling that Kagome will gain his complete trust. Perhaps they may even fall in love..."  
  
"No way! That doggy-boy is too STUPID to know what love is! And I doubt Kagome would be dumb enough to fall for him!" Shippo snorted, disgusted by the thought.  
  
"Only time will tell, Shippo. Someday you'll understand."  
  
"No thank you!"  
  
Then the two sat quietly, thinking their own separate thoughts.  
  
Meanwhile, Kagome and Inu Yasha began their journey to Saizen. Kagome was very quiet, and it had Inu Yasha on edge.  
  
'She's really pissed at me, isn't she? Maybe I should apologize...' he thought.  
  
"Kagome, look, I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't thinking back there when I said that. I didn't mean it," Inu Yasha said as he turned Kagome to face him. He could've sworn his heart skipped a beat when he looked into her eyes, brimmed with tears unshed.  
  
"I-I miss my family. I'm not even sure if they're still alive..." Kagome whispered as she began to cry, falling to her knees. "Mama, Souta, and Grandpa...what if they...?"  
  
"NO! You mustn't give up hope! Snap out of it. We'll save them, okay? Just don't lose faith, otherwise we will have lost before we even begin," he said in an encouraging voice as he kneeled down to face her and wipe away her tears with his sleeve. He couldn't stand seeing her like this, and he knew it was all his fault. He felt like everything he said to her just hurt her more. However, Kagome's next action quickly dispelled that idea.  
  
"I-Inu Yasha!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, crying softly into his haori.  
  
For a moment, he was shocked and didn't know what to do, but then he decided to wrap his arms around her as well to calm her down. He could feel her warm tears soak into the fabric of his clothing as he gently stroked her smooth hair. "Shhh...it'll be okay. I'll protect you, defeat that bastard Naraku, and I'll save your family, I promise."  
  
Did he really mean that? Kagome wondered as she stopped crying. She felt so warm and safe in his arms at that moment that she didn't want to let go. 'He is a jerk at times, but he doesn't really mean it," she thought, burying her face in the warmth of his haori. 'This feels so right...'  
  
"Kagome..." Inu yasha sighed. He never felt this way before. He never held anyone in his arms like this. 'She smells so good...,' he thought as he sniffed her hair, but then he caught the scent of something else...  
  
Blood.  
  
"Kagome, are you injured somewhere?" Inu Yasha asked, concerned as he pushed Kagome away enough to look into her eyes.  
  
"Eh? What do you mean?"  
  
"You're bleeding! I can smell it!"  
  
Kagome's cheeks turned crimson as she realized what he smelled. It was the time of her monthly cycle. 'How embarrassing!' she thought as she quickly stood up. "I-It's nothing! Don't worry about it!" she tried to reassure him without having to explain all the gory details.  
  
"You sure you're not hurt?" he asked again, but when he saw the blush on her cheeks, he too realized what it was, then he added, "never mind," dropping the subject.  
  
The two then continued walking through the woods, guided by Inu Yasha's keen sense of smell. Neither of them had any definite plans for exactly how they would take out Naraku, but they knew that's what had to be done. Kagome felt a little closer to the hanyou at that moment, remembering how he said he'd protect her and save her family.  
  
'I hope he really means it,' she thought to herself, remembering how good his hug felt.  
  
**********  
  
"Sango, are you sure you know where this place is?" Miroku asked for the second time that morning.  
  
"Of course I do! Look, I'll get out the map and show you..." she said as she stopped to rummage through her bag. After a frantic minute, Sango realized that the map was gone. "Oh crap..."  
  
"Well? Where is it?"  
  
Suddenly Sango turned to hear the sound of rustling paper...and was horrified to see what Kirara was doing to the map.  
  
"Kirara! Stop! What are you doing!!!???" she yelled as she watched the neko youkai relieve it's bodily wastes all over a chewed up, wrinkled map. It was ruined!  
  
"Hmmm, it seems we have a problem here," Miroku sighed while scratching his forehead.  
  
"Kirara, how could you! Mou!!! Now we're totally lost, and my mission is ruined!"  
  
Seeing Sango in such distress caused the Houshi to want to comfort her...in the only way he knew how...  
  
*Grope* *Feel*  
  
*SLAP!*  
  
"Hentai! How dare you touch my...!"  
  
"Gomen, gomen! I was only trying to take your mind off of your problems! I meant no harm!" Miroku pleaded as he rubbed his poor red cheek.  
  
*Squeak?*  
  
When Kirara finished, she proudly trotted over to Sango, not sure why the human was so upset all of a sudden.  
  
"Sango, do you even know what Sesshoumaru looks like? Perhaps we can still find him."  
  
"Well, Lord Naraku told me that he has golden slitted eyes, looks fierce, and has long silvery hair. He also told me that he has a sword at his side with strange powers. That's all I know."  
  
"Hmmm. That may not be enough to go on, since all Inu youkai have golden eyes and silver hair."  
  
"Well, if you have any great ideas, speak up," Sango sighed. She should've been at Sesshoumaru's estate by now...  
  
Suddenly, the two stopped as they heard talking nearby. Then they heard foot steps coming closer, small twigs snapping, and leaves rustling. Miroku grabbed Sango and Kirara and dashed behind a large tree with them. Sango was surprised, but knew to keep quiet. Whatever's nearby must be a youkai.  
  
Then, peaking out from the tree, the two spotted a youkai...with long silvery hair, golden eyes...and a sword...  
  
Sango whispered to Miroku, "Do you think that's him?"  
  
"He appears to be with a human girl...I doubt the Lord of Western Lands likes humans...besides, look at those ears. Don't Inu youkai have ears kind of like ours, except pointy?" Miroku asked, also whispering. "And that outfit he's wearing certainly doesn't look Lord-like."  
  
"Well, I've never actually encountered one before, so I wouldn't exactly know..." Sango replied, but suddenly they saw the Inu youkai turn towards them. Kirara growled low, causing Sango to clamp her hand over the neko youkai's mouth.  
  
"Shhhh!!!"  
  
Inu Yasha motioned for Kagome to stay behind him as he sniffed the air.  
  
"Kagome, there's someone behind that tree...actually three someone's. I can smell them. Hide somewhere quickly," he whispered, and Kagome did as she was told and hid by some nearby bushes.  
  
'I hope it's not youkai, or worse, taijiya,' Kagome thought as she glanced at Inu Yasha, who began to draw his sword.  
  
Sango glanced out carefully, seeing that he had his sword drawn. 'That's just a rusted piece of crap!' she thought as she took in it's details. It was badly chipped all along the blade, and the leather wrapped around the hilt was in various ripped stages. Surely this wasn't Sesshoumaru's 'powerful sword.'  
  
However, all doubt of whether or not the youkai was Sesshoumaru or not quickly left her as she witnessed the junky old sword begin to glow and irradiate an incredible power. It was transforming into what looked like a large fang, as flawless as it looked dangerous.  
  
"I know you're there humans! Come out or else!" Inu Yasha spat. He knew the smell of taijiya.  
  
"Miroku-Sama! That's him! It has to be! I saw his sword transform into something very powerful. Let's get him while we have the chance!" Sango said as she quickly grabbed her boomerang.  
  
"If you say so, but we better be careful. If that IS Sesshoumaru, we're in for one hell of a fight!" Miroku exclaimed as he grabbed his staff and leapt out from behind the tree with Sango by his side. "Better get the scroll ready!"  
  
Sango held up the scroll and smiled. This was her chance to prove herself as a worthy taijiya. Her family would live good for the rest of their lives if she succeeded, and the war would be so much closer to an end. 'Don't screw up,' she reprimanded herself.  
  
"Well, you may not look like a lord, but I'm sure you fight like one. Hand over your human captive and prepare to die. It ends here."  
  
"Well said, Sango-Chan," Miroku chimed in.  
  
Inu Yasha looked pointedly at the taijiya girl. What the hell was she blabbering about? He wasn't a lord or anything. Then he turned to look at the Houshi next to her, and by his feet a neko youkai. And did they think he was holding Kagome captive?  
  
"Keh! I don't know what your business is here, but I won't go easy on you all if you truly intend to fight me."  
  
Suddenly Inu Yasha heard Kagome yell out to him from her hiding spot. "Inu Yasha! Watch out for that scroll she has! That'll steal your soul and you'll die!"  
  
"Inu...," Sango began.  
  
"...Yasha?" Miroku finished.  
  
Sango looked curiously at the being before her, then asked, "Your name is Inu Yasha?"  
  
"Yeah, so what's it to you?" he replied with clenched teeth.  
  
"I guess that isn't Sesshoumaru," Miroku added.  
  
Inu Yasha visually flinched at that name. Hatred welled up inside him just remembering that bastard who abandoned his mother and him so long ago. Sesshoumaru, his half-brother...  
  
Suddenly the taijiya recalled the name 'Inu Yasha.'  
  
"You're that hanyou that was rescued from Saizen two nights ago, aren't you? Well, I guess I can take you back. Naraku should be pleased with that."  
  
"Sango, we should leave him be. He is merely a hanyou. And I doubt Naraku will be pleased with a hanyou rather than the Lord of Western Lands," Miroku suggested, not wanting to fight a meaningless battle.  
  
Then, Kagome stepped out from behind the bushes, revealing herself to the eyes of the lecherous Houshi. "Leave Inu Yasha alone! He has nothing to do with you!"  
  
The hanyou was surprised by the girl's bravery, and more so that she was sticking up for him.  
  
"Eh? I do believe I have seen such a fair face as yours before," miroku said as he walked closer to Kagome. Then, getting a good look at the Houshi, Kagome concluded that they had met before.  
  
"You are Miroku, right? I remember seeing you in my village once. After you exorcised evil spirits out of the Nagoshi family's house, I recall a big fuss that they were ransacked. I assume you did it?" Kagome asked, feeling a bit relieved that she at least knew this person. "I also remember that you tied to grope me."  
  
Everyone face faulted at that, and Sango glared daggers at the monk. :Houshi-Sama, you do those things to every girl you meet?"  
  
"Hee, hee, I guess I do!" Miroku said while blushing slightly.  
  
Kagome decided to be the peace maker, saying, "There's no point in fighting us. We intend you no harm. Besides, you're looking for Inu Yasha's half- brother, Sesshoumaru, right? So let's call it a truce." Sango nodded in agreement, as well as Miroku.  
  
Meanwhile, Inu Yasha was losing his patience.  
  
"Enough of this chatter! Why are you looking for Sesshoumaru?" Inu Yasha asked gruffly.  
  
However, before any one of them could utter another word, the winds picked up in velocity. The tree branches swayed, the leaves that were dying blew away, and everyone looked up to find a very large youkai soaring high in the sky. Sweat began to pour down Inu Yasha's face as he caught the familiar scent.  
  
"Sesshoumaru! Damn it! He's here!" Inu Yasha growled as he held his sword tighter.  
  
As the youkai pack animal landed, everyone jumped back. Kagome noticed the figure of a man stepping off the creature with a girl alongside him. She was shocked to see who the girl was...  
  
"Rin!"  
  
The girl looked over at the group until she saw the person who called her name. Tears almost welled up in her eyes. There she was, a friend that she thought to be dead or captured.  
  
"Kagome! Oh my God! It's really you! And Inu Yasha! You're both all right!" she exclaimed as she happily ran to hug her friend. Sesshoumaru looked on at the distasteful scene. Humans were such emotional creatures.  
  
Then Sesshoumaru spoke, earning everyone's attention, especially Sango's.  
  
"Inu Yasha, It's been awhile hasn't it?"  
  
"You bastard! How dare you show your face here after what you did to mother and I!" Inu Yasha yelled, ready to run Sesshoumaru through with the Tetsusaiga if need be.  
  
"I do not need to be reminded, dear little brother. You should be grateful that I at least let you live. Now, as much as I'm sure you'd like, I didn't come here for a family reunion. I shall reclaim what should rightfully be mine. Give me the Tetsusaiga, else incur my wrath."  
  
Rin glanced at the two half-brothers, afraid that Sesshoumaru wouldn't keep his word. And what if Inu Yasha bested him? She didn't want to see any bloodshed.  
  
"Kagome, we have to stop them!"  
  
"I'll stop them," Sango said, raising her scroll. "This is my job, so everyone step away. Sesshoumaru, I will be your opponent this day, so prepare yourself!"  
  
Miroku looked apprehensive. Would she succeed?  
  
The youkai lord glanced at the woman with amusement. A sealing scroll? As if that could work on someone as powerful as he was. "Inu Yasha, after I take care of this wench, I'll return to the task at hand. It is not in my nature to turn down a challenge."  
  
It seemed an all out battle royale was about to begin. Sango's heart was racing. 'Don't screw up!'  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: That was a long chapter! I'm so glad I got inspiration to write again! ^_^ Hmmm, just look at that awful cliffhanger I left you guys with. Hee, hee. Don't worry! I'm already working on the next chapter! Don't forget to review, cause I love reading them, and you're more likely to get a longer story if you do ^_~. 


	10. Naraku's Trap

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha *Boo hoo* I don't own Sesshoumaru *Falls into a deep depression* I don't have any money at the moment *Bangs head against wall* and I have a ton of evil homework *Dies*  
  
AN: Ahhh! Don't hurt me! I didn't mean to leave y'all hanging! Sorry for the long wait too, but I had so much homework and tests and...blah, blah, blah. Also, ff.net for some reason didn't update the story properly, so many of you probably didn't know that chapter 8 has been up almost a whole week, otherwise, I'm sure SOMEBODY would've reviewed it by now. Oh well, you guys can still review it ^_^. I have 31 so far! Come on people!  
  
Inu Yasha Plushy: Keh! You lie like a rug!  
  
Otaku-Chan ^_~: Osuwari!  
  
Inu Yasha Plushy: Kuso!  
  
Kuso- Damn/shit.  
  
Jaki- A corrosive evil aura given off by Youkai.  
  
Bozu- Derogatory way to say monk.  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Nine~Naraku's Trap  
  
'I just have to get this scroll on him, then it's all over! Let's go!' Sango thought quietly as she prepared to throw her boomerang at Sesshoumaru for the purpose of distracting him. Her hand tightly gripped the strap as all her muscles tensed, ready to do what they had to. Surely her family would move up in society if she succeeded.  
  
"Hiraikotsu!"  
  
The youkai lord quickly leaped out of the hiraikotsu's path, then he released a whip of pure youkai energy, ready to strike the pestiferous girl.  
  
"You taijiya should all perish!" he howled, furious that the pathetic human woman even hoped to defeat him.  
  
Sango's eyes opened wide as she saw the whip heading straight for her. Everyone stared with frightened anticipation, when suddenly Rin jumped out in front of her and took the blow to her right shoulder, feeling a sharp rip of her flesh as the whip burned her right through the bandages of her previous wound, making the pain all the more excruciating. The girl cried in pain as she fell to her knees, blood marring her once clean kimono, as well as ripped bandages falling softly to the ground.  
  
"You stupid woman! Why did you get in the way?!" Sesshoumaru yelled, showing emotion to the likes of which he hadn't shown in years. He quickly made the whip vanish as he ran to the now fallen girl. He gently picked her up into his arms, wondering why the hell he suddenly cared so much. The smell of her blood made him feel uneasy all of a sudden. 'I guess I am a bit like the old bastard, whether I admit it or not...'  
  
"R-Rin!" Kagome stammered, surprised that the youkai lord hadn't killed her. He actually seemed regretful for what he did. What was going on between those two?  
  
"Kuso!" Inu Yasha snorted. Seeing Sesshoumaru concerned for a human really surprised him. Had his half-brother really changed that drastically since the time he was a child? He didn't have a minute more to ponder the subject since his senses were telling him things were about to get worse.  
  
'Now's my only chance! Sesshoumaru is distracted by the other girl...,' Sango mumbled to herself, getting a firm hold of the soul stealing scroll. She swallowed hard and made her next move.  
  
"Die bastard!!!"  
  
"Sango, stop!!! Enough fighting!" Miroku yelled, grabbing the taijiya's shoulder. "Don't you understand why that girl risked her life to protect you, even though she's on the youkai's side? " She jerked his hand away and prepared to slap the scroll onto the youkai lord.  
  
"Don't interfere Houshi-Sama! If the foolish girl wants the fighting to stop, fine, but I have my reasons to fight, and I won't stop! I will make sure Sesshoumaru never hurts anyone else! If you get in my way again, I'll use this soul stealing scroll on you too!!!" Sango shouted as she prepared to release the scroll's true power as she was taught to do by Lord Naraku himself. She extended her arm and held it vertically, directing it towards the youkai lord. Elegantly written kanji began to appear on its papery surface, revealing itself in a smooth, white glow.  
  
Sesshoumaru saw the scroll in her hand then begin to glow a vibrant red, and crimson flames began to jump up from it. His eyes opened a bit wider as he felt the immense power being radiated from it. Obviously it was no ordinary sealing scroll. His senses were going wild, instincts he tried to keep buried deeply within himself began to resurface. He felt apprehensive just to be near it...  
  
He was afraid. An emotion so strange that he couldn't readily recognize it, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it was true. He, the Lord of Western Lands was actually afraid.  
  
Inu Yasha watched with serious eyes the events that were unfolding before him. It almost made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. There he was, his half-brother, who threw his mother and him out so many decades ago, at the mercy of the very species he loathed. A human. It was ironic really, he thought. Sesshoumaru wasn't invincible after all. He always wondered why his half-brother was such a cold hearted bastard. When he was young, he vaguely remembered the day his mother died. It seemed that after that, Sesshoumaru hated him even more.  
  
'Whatever happened to his mother has nothing to do with me, so why? Why does he hate me so much? Because I don't have full youkai blood? Because my mother was a human? Dammit Sesshoumaru! I don't want to end up saving your ass, but...' Inu Yasha thought as he prepared to take the situation into his own hands.  
  
He knew he had to try and destroy the ominous looking scroll. It dawned on him that eventually he'd have to work with his half-brother to save Kagome's people. The taijiya were just too strong to face alone! Even if the other Inu youkai scoffed at him, he had to try to repair the damage between Sesshoumaru and himself. His life depended on that full-blooded youkai power that only Sesshoumaru could provide.  
  
Suddenly, the sky around everyone began to darken and the scroll flew out of Sango's hand, burning her slightly as it flared with dark power.  
  
"Sango, is this supposed to happen?" Miroku asked as he felt unnerved by what was happening. A cold drop of sweat dripped from his forehead.  
  
"A-Actually, I've never seen it do this before...," Sango said in a shaky voice. Inside something was telling her that what she did was wrong. She tried to push the things Miroku told her about Naraku to the back of her mind. 'I completed my mission. That's all,' she thought.  
  
Everyone looked at the menacing object, and before another word could be uttered, dark bolts of lightening began shooting out from it, barely missing Kagome, Sango, and everyone else. The air was growing thick with jaki.  
  
"That's not an ordinary scroll, is it?" Kagome questioned as she moved just in time to avoid being struck. The tree she was standing by had been completely severed in half. 'That was too close!' Her lungs began to burn as she realized that the jaki was spreading. Being a miko, she knew there was something demonic about the scroll the taijiya used, but how? Who would create such a thing?  
  
Inu Yasha was busy dodging as well, until he finally got near enough to Sesshoumaru. "Dammit! Don't just sit there with your tail in between your legs! We have to destroy that thing before it destroys us!"  
  
Sesshoumaru nodded, a bit surprised that he would actually end up fighting along side his half-brother, rather than against him. He then looked into Rin's frightened eyes. "He's right, we have to put aside our differences for now and work together. I sense youkai energy coming from that scroll. I don't know what's about to happen, but we have to take action quickly," he said, revealing a tinge of fear in his voice. Rin even thought she felt him slightly shaking for a moment before he put her down.  
  
"Rin! That's your name, right? Get Kagome and hide! It's too dangerous for you two! We'll handle the scroll as well as the taijiya and the Houshi! GO!"  
  
Inu Yasha's voice was barely carried over the high winds rustling the foliage. Rin nodded, took one last look at Sesshoumaru, then ran full speed to her friend's side, trying her best to ignore the burning pain on her shoulder.  
  
Meanwhile, Miroku was fending for himself. He was glad that he was trained to withstand such potent jaki, but he worried about Sango. She was coughing constantly. He had to get her out of it. 'I'm coming Sango, hold on!'  
  
Sango continued to cough, cursing herself for being so foolish. Naraku must have set her up! Apparently he wanted her to die as well as Sesshoumaru, otherwise, why was the damn thing be doing all this? Her mind grew fuzzy, her limbs grew cold, and she felt nausea sweep over her. She knew it wouldn't be long until she passed out. The jaki had already eaten through her filter mask.  
  
"Sango! Open your eyes!"  
  
She could hear the voice calling to her, but she was so tired. Her eye lids drooped closed, but suddenly opened as she felt strong arms wrap about her lean form and haul her away from the danger.  
  
"M-Miroku-Sama...?" she wheezed as she looked at the man that had saved her. One more minute, and she'd be a goner.  
  
"It is not proper for a gentleman to leave a lady in danger," he replied smoothly. Then he brought her to the clearing where Kagome and Rin were.  
  
The two young women watched as the Houshi placed the other woman down, carefully leaning her up against a tree. "I hope you two will forgive her...she was tricked."  
  
Kagome looked on with curiosity at the taijiya. Tricked? By who? Something wasn't right.  
  
"Ano, Houshi-Sama, what do you mean?"  
  
"Gomen. I don't have time to talk. I must help your friends out there," he said quickly, then ran off in the direction of the chaos.  
  
**********  
  
"Strange man..." she whispered, "Ano, Rin-Chan, let me see your wound. I have some herbs with me that'll help numb the pain."  
  
"Kagome, do you think they'll be all right? I'm worried about Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru...and that Houshi, too."  
  
Kagome began crushing up the herbs before she replied, "Let's hope for the best. Inu Yasha should be able to destroy that scroll with his Tetsusaiga."  
  
"Nhhhnnn..." Sango moaned from the immense headache she felt coming on. It just wasn't her day. 'Well', she thought, 'at least I'm alive.'  
  
"Since you're in no position to fight us, let's call a truce," Kagome stated, turning her attention to the taijiya. "I have some herbs that are good for headaches too," she smiled. There was something about this girl...  
  
"Are you a miko?" Sango asked.  
  
"Hai, demo, I'm not the best, I'll admit. All I'm really good at is identifying herbs and putting them to practical use. I'm kinda good with archery too, but that's all really."  
  
"Aww, Kagome-Chan, you berate yourself too much! I heard that you took out a powerful Saizen miko with one shot from your arrow. That takes talent! You had to have tapped into your true miko powers to do that." Rin remarked.  
  
"That's funny...but I don't remember," Kagome said, shaking her head slightly. It was a very unpleasant memory, to say the least. She did kill that woman. That's when her powers grew incredibly large. It was strange, but she didn't know how she was able to shoot such a fearsome arrow, so full of power. She felt funny just thinking about it.  
  
"You killed a Saizen miko? You must be her!" Sango exclaimed, sitting up and staring at Kagome with a look of surprise. "When the taijiya and mikos returned to Saizen with the villagers as hostages, I heard that the top ranking miko Kikyou was killed. You did that, didn't you?"  
  
"I-I told you, I don't remember..." Kagome lied. She didn't want to remember, but she did.  
  
She suddenly felt guilty. She was responsible for killing someone, and the thought in and of itself made her stomach sink. It was for self-defense, but still...  
  
"Lord Naraku ordered a group of taijiya to find you. The mikos in the guild are in an uproar over this!"  
  
Kagome looked worried, then asked, "You won't turn me in to them, will you? We have a truce, right?"  
  
"Hai, hai! You seem like a good person. I won't turn you in, but you better be extra careful...,' then she turned to Rin "you too, and Inu Yasha should be careful. Naraku will stop at nothing to get what he wants." She let out a small laugh, "Funny, I come to kill Sesshoumaru and I find all three people that are 'wanted' by my lord."  
  
Rin tried to smile, but she couldn't help feeling a bit distrustful towards the taijiya. "Why are you trying to kill Sesshoumaru?"  
  
"Naraku assigned the mission to me, since I'm one of the best taijiya in the village...or so he said. If I do this, my family will live good from the payment I receive. They need it!"  
  
"It seems like your intentions are good, but unfortunately you were deceived as well. That scroll would've killed you too, right? It seems like something's not quite right about your lord," Rin stated.  
  
"That Houshi, Miroku-Sama...he told me that Lord Naraku is a youkai in human form. I still don't know whether I should believe that, but..."  
  
"That must be it!" Kagome interrupted. "That scroll was giving off some powerful jaki. Only a youkai could've created something like that, so if Naraku gave it to you, he must've made it, right? Why would he send you on a suicide mission if not to hatch some wicked scheme?"  
  
"That's ridiculous! I've known my lord from the time I was very small. I never sensed a youkai aura from him. He's as human as you or I. I know it!" Sango argued, trying to deny all accusations towards the man, however, she knew they were probably right. The events that just occurred with the scroll proved it. Yet she didn't want to believe it.  
  
"Yeah, but if he's a really powerful youkai, don't you think it would be an easy task to cast a concealing spell upon himself? You shouldn't overlook something like that," Kagome added. Rin listened to the two halfheartedly. Her mind was elsewhere. She was worried...  
  
'Please be okay, Sesshoumaru...'  
  
**********  
  
"Sesshoumaru, look out! The scroll is coming your way!" Inu Yasha shouted as he deflected another lightning bolt with his Tetsusaiga.  
  
"I will try to expel the evil energy from that scroll, so both of you should get back!"  
  
"What do you think you're doing here Bozu?! You want to get killed?"  
  
Miroku simply smiled at the hanyou. "I'm only doing my duty as a servant of Buddha. And by the way, I'm a Houshi, not a bozu. Now, stand back!"  
  
But it was too late. A temporary flash of red caught their eyes, making them hesitant to see what would happen next. Miroku and Inu Yasha were suddenly blown back by a tremendous force, and as they tried to pick themselves back up, they heard screams of pain and agony.  
  
"AAAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Inu Yasha wiped the dust from his golden eyes and saw Sesshoumaru...the scroll was attached to his back, causing the youkai lord to writhe in pain. His armor had completely been shattered, leaving him helpless as the scroll pulsed dark magical energy into his body.  
  
"What the hell...?" Miroku questioned as he watched the magic begin to change the youkai...  
  
Sesshoumaru had never felt such excruciating pain in all his life. He burned all over, and he could feel the scroll stealing his youkai energy. His fingers curled up under the palms of his hands to try to lessen the ripping pain. His jaw also hurt immensely, as well as his head. Falling to his knees, cursing his misfortune, he grabbed his head, groning from the throbbing pain. He felt like he would die if it didn't all end soon.  
  
Silver locks of hair began to change to gray, then jet black. The long pelt- like tail slowly grew shorter until it completely vanished from his body. Golden eyes turned a deep cobalt blue. Claws that could once tear into the flesh of any enemy turned into dull, thin, and utterly weak human nails. His pointy, mountain-like fangs shortened until they were as flat as worn down hills. His ears became rounded rather than pointed, and his senses dulled considerably. He could hardly see, hear, or smell the way he used to. But above all of the physical changes, he felt so many emotions wash over him like a tsunami. He then realized what he had just become.  
  
Sesshoumaru, the Lord of Western Lands, and the most feared youkai in all of Japan, now a mere mortal man. He was completely human.  
  
Inu Yasha and Miroku stared in shock. The scroll had disintegrated into nothing more than dust after the transformation was complete.  
  
"S-Sesshoumaru? Y-You're..." Inu Yasha stuttered, utterly perplexed by this development.  
  
"Kuso! That damned scroll!!!" Sesshoumaru cursed as he made a tight fist. Little did he realize, tears were streaming down his cheeks. The sight almost made Inu Yasha feel sorry for him. Almost.  
  
"Keh! Now you know what it's like to be like the species you so loved to kill all the time! Serves you right!"  
  
"Inu Yasha...I may be a weak mortal, but I will NOT allow you to speak to me like that!" he yelled as he lunged at his younger sibling, fists bared. Inu Yasha simply dodged each blow, laughing at Sesshoumaru's clumsiness.  
  
Miroku sighed. 'Well, at least we're all still alive...'  
  
The sky had once again brightened as the last of the jaki dissipated. All three young men turned to see three worried young women come running towards them.  
  
"Sess..." Rin stopped in mid-run, as well as mid-sentence. Was that incredibly good looking guy Sesshoumaru?  
  
Kagome also stopped to gawk at the man. "Whoa..."  
  
Sango looked the most surprised, but for different reasons. "The scroll...turned him into a human? Why would Naraku create such a powerful weapon only to turn his enemy into a human?"  
  
Inu Yasha decided to answer the woman's question, since he had been pondering the answer for a few minutes already. "Well, think about it. If Sesshoumaru is a weak human, then he obviously isn't a threat to Naraku, right? Therefore, Naraku has just become the most powerful youkai in the land...that is, if he even is a youkai. Who knows what he'll do next now that that obstacle is out of the way."  
  
Sesshoumaru grimaced at being called 'weak' so many times. It made him feel a strange knot in his throat. Why did this have to happen to him? Now there was no hope of defeating that bastard Naraku if he couldn't even beat his pathetic half-brother. He couldn't even use the Tetsusaiga...  
  
"We must kill Naraku as soon as possible. I have a feeling that he wants to claim my lands, thus gaining immense power. Even though I can't do much with this useless body, I must try to get back to normal, and if I have to rip his bloody heart out to do it, I will!"  
  
Kagome ran up to Inu Yasha and hugged him tightly. He tensed up, surprised by her sudden action.  
  
"N-Nani?"  
  
"Thank Kami-Sama you're okay! I was so worried!"  
  
He blushed slightly, noticing all the looks he was getting from everyone. He firmly grabbed hold of her arms and gently detached the girl from himself, not wanting to be embarrassed any further.  
  
"Aww, you like him, don't you Kagome?" Rin asked in a teasing voice.  
  
"I wouldn't be talking, you fluffy-lover!" Kagome retorted.  
  
"Hey! He's not fluffy anymore!"  
  
"Um...girls...?" Miroku interrupted.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"N-Nevermind..."  
  
All six of them had large sweat drops on their foreheads.  
  
Then Sesshoumaru walked up to Inu Yasha. "We should go back to my estate quickly and make arrangements to dispose of Naraku," then he turned to glare at Sango, "as for you, I ought to kill you for what you did. You have no idea of the mistake you have made. Foolish wench!"  
  
"Hey! She's sorry for what she did, okay? Leave her alone!" Kagome said, sticking up for the taijiya. "She's going to stay with us from now on, and so is the Houshi."  
  
"Keh! Who says? YOU?"  
  
"Yes ME! Osuwari!"  
  
*Uragh!*  
  
"What'd you do that for?"  
  
"Because you're being a mean jerk! Sango-San was tricked too!"  
  
Then before another argument could start, A'un arrived, ready to transport them all to Sesshoumaru's estate.  
  
"Fine. We all go. But if the taijiya makes one wrong move..."  
  
"I'll protect her from you," Miroku stated. Sango blushed at that. He really was a gentleman when he wanted to be.  
  
Rin sighed. 'I hope things get resolved soon, because I'm afraid of what that Naraku guy has planned for all of us...'  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: Well, I'm almost up to chapter 10! This is the longest fic I've ever written so far, except for my Sorcerer Hunters fic, "Clear Destiny" (which isn't online). I hope no one is upset by my lack of romance writing skills. I'll try harder, I swear! Anyway, it's your que to R+R! 


	11. Bittersweet Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own the kawaii Inu-puppy boy, or his 'once-was' fluffy half-brother, or the bishounen hentai Houshi, or anyone in this fic...except for Kiroku....but she's dead, also the hentai Inu, Hajime ^_^;; I also own any other various Inu youkai that pop up now and then ^__^.  
  
AN: I was kinda rushed to finish chapter 9, so pardon the OOC ending. Oh, one last thing. The best songs to listen to while reading this (if you listen to music when you read fics) is Akino Arai's "Goddess In The Morning" or "Reincarnation" (same song, different instrumentation's). Also, anything from Inu Yasha is good too, of course (Especially track 24 on OST 1) ^_^. For this chapter in particular, I recommend "Only When I Lose Myself," by Depeche Mode, or "You're Not Alone," by Olive.  
  
~~~~~~ - Flashback.  
  
Sugoi- Amazing.  
  
Otou- Father.  
  
Oka- Mother.  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Ten~Bittersweet Memories  
  
"Sugoi! This place is huge!" Kagome remarked as she looked around the spacious interior of Sesshoumaru's estate. Sango was impressed as well, but her attention suddenly turned to Miroku, who was busy trying to hide a small golden statue in his robe. She quickly smacked him upside the head.  
  
"Houshi-Sama! You should know better!"  
  
"Ha, ha, ha...funny you noticed!" he said, rubbing the lump on his head. Then he promptly put the treasure back where he found it, not missing the death glare he was getting from Sesshoumaru.  
  
"Touch anything else, and expect to lose your hands," the youkai warned.  
  
"This place sure does bring back memories," Inu Yasha began, "I used to run down the hallways playing all sorts of games. I must've drove my mother crazy at times since it took her hours to find me. Heh."  
  
Sesshoumaru felt, for the first time in his life, guilt. He kicked Inu Yasha out along with his mother so long ago, but hearing Inu Yasha reminisce about old times brought back such bittersweet, as well as painful memories. In truth, he knew it was never Inu Yasha that was the object of his hate, but that woman...  
  
~~~~~~  
  
It had been a long day for Sesshoumaru. He had been busy training in the sparring hall with his friend Kasuma. He had become very skilled with a sword over his eighteen years of practice. He was twenty two in human years, and he knew that someday he'd become the next ruler to his father's lands. He felt a tinge of excitement at the thought.  
  
"Ne, I heard that Inu Taishou-Sama asked ol' Toutousai to create two amazing swords. One for you, and one for the hanyou squirt. I wonder which one you'll get?"  
  
"My father will surely give me the best of the two. I deserve no less."  
  
Later that evening...  
  
Sesshoumaru was walking down one of the many long corridors, hoping to ask his father about his inheritance. He simply had to know what kind of blade he would receive. However, he was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed a sniffling little hanyou tugging on his pants.  
  
"Onii-San! Our Otousama and your Okasama are having a scary fight! She said my Okasama should be killed! She said I'm a worthless hanyou! I'm scared! What's gonna happen to my Okasama?" the child cried.  
  
Sesshoumaru kneeled down to look his little sibling in his teary eyes. "Where are they at now?" he asked in a gentle voice.  
  
Inu Yasha sniffled loudly before replying in a hiccupy voice, "They're in Otousama's room. Please stop the scary fight Onii-San!"  
  
Sesshoumaru then picked Inu Yasha up and carried him on his broad shoulders. The child eventually calmed down and stopped crying. 'Poor little pup. I know my mother has hated you since the day you were born, but it's not your fault. Otousama was a fool to ever mate with a human in the first place. Now you have to be dragged into these conflicts too. I pity your misfortune as a hanyou.'  
  
Suddenly, the two heard a scream reverberate through the hall. Something was terribly wrong, and Sesshoumaru recognized the voice that screamed.  
  
"Okasama!"  
  
He quickly put Inu Yasha down and ran full speed to the bedroom, noticing that the door was cracked open. "Inu Yasha, stay there!" he yelled. He could smell fresh blood reeking from the door. He barged in, only to witness Inu Yasha's mother in his father's arms crying. His own mother lied sprawled on the floor, a small puddle of blood leaking out from beneath her limp form. Sesshoumaru felt his youkai blood begin to boil. What the hell happened to her?  
  
"S-Sesshoumaru...I'm sorry. Your Oka..."  
  
"She tried to kill me, so your father defended me, and..." Yukiko interrupted.  
  
"Enough!" Sesshoumaru screamed. Had his father murdered his mother for the human wench!? At that moment he despised the woman in his father's arms. Yukiko was the reason his mother was dead. "You bitch!" he growled.  
  
"Damn it Sesshoumaru! You're mother was on the verge of transforming! If I didn't stop her, this whole place would be rubble! I regret what I did, but she went insane, don't you see? Your mother was..."  
  
"I don't want to hear it old man! You didn't have to kill her for God sakes! All for that damn wench!" Sesshoumaru was about to take a swipe at the woman when Inu Taishou suddenly punched him, knocking him swiftly to the floor. The young youkai's lip began to bleed.  
  
"Forgive me son, but I love Yukiko. Try to understand."  
  
"And you forsake MY mother? You coward!" tears began to pour down Sesshoumaru's face, mixing with the blood on his lip. Inu Taishou quickly left the room with Yukiko. He would have his servents get the body when Sesshoumaru cooled down. "You damn coward!" He banged his fist hard on the wooden floor, creating a splintery hole. He didn't even feel the pain of the sharp splinters that dug into his soft flesh, causing blood to ooze into their wooden pores. His only mother...the only one who truly understood him and cared for him...dead. Why did it have to end up this way? If only his father had remained faithful to her, she wouldn't have ended up this way. What a waste of life.  
  
Meanwhile, Yukiko had picked up her son and carried him off, not uttering a word to the child of what happened. Inu Taishou was also silent. Somehow, Inu Yasha knew it wasn't the right moment to ask what happened.  
  
From that day on, Sesshoumaru closed his heart to his father, Inu Yasha, and most of all, Yukiko. He hated the woman with a passion. The very sight of her made his base animal instincts beckon him to rip her apart. He didn't even realize he was capable of such deep hatred until that woman came into his sight.  
  
Inu Yasha also noticed the change in his older brother. He tried to talk to him on occasion, only to receive a cold glare. It frightened him. Why did his only Onii-San hate him all of a sudden? What did he do? Perhaps it had something to do with his mother's disappearance. His father eventually told him that Sesshoumaru's mother went far away. But why? Even his own mother seemed different. More withdrawn. Something was wrong with the whole situation.  
  
Eventually the day came where Inu Taishou called forth Sesshoumaru. He would give him his rightful sword before he left to defend his lands from the fearsome dragon, Ryutaishou. The two stood in the sunny courtyard, Sesshoumaru was anticipating what sword he'd receive. Inu Yasha was still too young, so he was not there, but both youkai knew that the left over sword would be for him.  
  
"Regardless of how you may feel, I have decided that the noble healing sword, Tenseiga, shall be yours. Unlike the Tetsusaiga here, Tenseiga is a sword that cannot kill. Yet it has the power to revive a hundred lives or more if your heart so desires it."  
  
Sesshoumaru didn't look impressed. "And what can the Tetsusaiga do?"  
  
"Tetsusaiga is a sword that can take one hundred lives in one swing. Since Inu Yasha is a hanyou, I have decided to let him have this sword. The boy will have to defend himself since the world doesn't favor his kind. It will also act as a seal on his youkai blood, since I fear that when he is older, he will not be able to control such power in that body of his. This will keep him from turning into a mindless monster. Unfortunately, our bloodline is too strong for a hanyou like your brother to withstand." Then Inu Taishou handed Sesshoumaru the Tenseiga. "As for you, let this sword teach you the value of compassion. If you lose that, all is lost."  
  
"I don't want such a sword! If I'm to rule the Western Lands after your passing, I need a powerful sword to defend what is ours! What good is a sword that cannot kill?" Sesshoumaru spat.  
  
"I pray that as future leader, you will change your attitude. Now, I must go. And one last thing..."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"If I don't come back alive...please take good care of Yukiko and Inu Yasha, no matter how you feel about them. Let that be your first lesson in compassion."  
  
With that, the regal youkai left the courtyard, as well as an angry Sesshoumaru. 'This sword doesn't suit me...' he thought bitterly.  
  
It had been a week after Inu Taishou left to do battle that rumors began to spread. Some said he was dead, others refused to believe it, until a vassal came to the estate bearing the bad news.  
  
"I hearby confirm that the Lord of Western Lands, Inu Taishou, has defeated Ryutaishou in battle. However, in doing so, he had sacrificed his own life. Now I declare that the eldest son, Sesshoumaru, is our new lord."  
  
Yukiko stood amongst the crowd of Inu youkai, crying as she held Inu Yasha close. The hanyou wept from hearing of his father's death.  
  
Sesshoumaru stepped up to affirm his rule. Now he had absolute power. True, he felt a bit remorseful for his father's death, but he finally had the opportunity to rid himself of that wretched human woman that tainted his old man. He cleared his throat, then said, "Lady Yukiko, If you want to live, then I suggest you leave this place tonight. Go wherever you wish, but never tread upon these lands again. In honor of my father, I will spare your pathetic life."  
  
The woman was shocked. Where would she go? She had Inu Yasha to care for, and now she was being kicked out of her deceased lord's estate? She realized then just how much Sesshoumaru really hated her. "What about Inu Yasha?" she cried, hugging her boy tighter. Inu Yasha was confused. Why was his brother doing this?  
  
"Take him with you. I don't want to see either of you anymore."  
  
Inu Yasha sniffled. "Onii-San..."  
  
After that evening, Yukiko had left with Inu Yasha, but Sesshoumaru realized that Tetsusaiga was also gone. He growled in frustration.  
  
"Kuso!" he cursed under his breath. 'I guess I'll let Inu Yasha keep it for now, but someday I will reclaim what rightfully should be mine. What do you think of that father? That's my lesson in compassion,' he thought ruefully.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Sesshoumaru turned to Inu Yasha, then said, "I wish to speak with you this evening. Come to my room when the sun sets. I know you may not want to hear anything that I have to say, brother, but I implore you."  
  
Inu Yasha nodded. "As a matter of fact, I have some things to ask you as well."  
  
"Good. You remember where my room is, do you not?"  
  
"Keh! Of course I do! I know this damned place like the back of my hand, even if I was only a little pup!" Inu Yasha snorted.  
  
"Very well then. I'll have Jaken escort all of you to your rooms."  
  
Rin shuddered at the name of the obnoxious toad youkai. She wondered how the human-hating creature would react when he saw that his lord was one of them now.  
  
"As for you, Rin, come with me," he said coolly.  
  
"H-Hai!" she replied, snapped from her thoughts. Kagome gave a small smile. It seemed Sesshoumaru liked Rin as well.  
  
As the two walked off, Kagome noticed a creepy little toad hobble into the room. It promptly dropped the strange wooden staff it was holding, then pointed a clawed finger at Sesshoumaru, mouth wide open, but no sound coming forth. Then it managed to stutter out it's apparent shock.  
  
"Y-You can't be..."  
  
"Jaken, I summoned you for a reason. Now stop dawdling and get to it!" the human that resembled his lord firmly stated.  
  
It was Sesshoumaru! But how, and why in the seven hells was he a...a human?! A weak, frail, disgusting human? And even more perplexing was the fact that Inu Yasha was there, as well as three other wretched humans besides Rin. One was obviously a Houshi, the other girl was apparently a miko, and the other...a taijiya? What was going on?  
  
"Oh my poor Sesshooooouuuuumaru-Sama!!!!! Look at what mingling with pesky humans has done to you! Oh my lord! Oooooohhhhhhhh!"  
  
*Moosh*  
  
Sesshoumaru had his foot planted firmly on the annoying retainer's face.  
  
Kagome giggled at the toad's antics. Then Jaken straightened up as if he never lost his composure in the first place.  
  
"Follow me please...," then he mumbled in a barely audible voice, "...stinking, flea ridden human vermin..." Luckily Sesshoumaru didn't hear him, as Jaken expected, being that he too was a human now. He'd have to ask his lord about it later. In the meantime, he'd do what he was told, like the good little retainer he was.  
  
Sesshoumaru gracefully sauntered down the hallway with Rin by his side. Kagome, Inu Yasha, Sango, and Miroku followed Jaken until each of them were designated a room.  
  
Kagome was amazed at how elegant her room was, and she was sure all of the rooms in the estate were as such. Even though the room was dim since no lantern was lit, she could still make everything out due to the glow of sunlight that pored in from the window. The tatami mats on the floor were clean and new looking. There was a changing screen in the corner of the spacious room with a beautiful Chinese style landscape painted on it. The futon on the floor had silk coverings. Having lived in near poverty, she never really experienced what the wealthy lived with before. In the far back of the room there was a large window leading out to a balcony. The air was scented with jasmine incense, and overall, the atmosphere was quite pleasant. 'And to think Inu Yasha used to live here...' she thought to herself. She had to admit, the place was beginning to grow on her and she practically just stepped into it!  
  
Kagome also felt her miko senses going wild. There must've been a ton of youkai living in that place as well. 'Of course there are!' she thought, 'this IS the estate of a youkai lord after all.' Then the thought crossed her mind...What if the other youkai here hated humans? Was it safe to be in a place full of creatures that wouldn't hesitate to kill a human at first glance? She shivered at the thought. Well, when they find out what happened to Sesshoumaru, they'll hopefully leave her and the others alone. Then she felt a clawed hand on her shoulder and nearly jumped out of her skin.  
  
"Calm down! It's just me, baka."  
  
"I-Inu Yasha! Don't scare me like that! Sheesh," Kagome huffed.  
  
Inu Yasha walked over to the balcony window and sat down on the edge, looking out at the vast expanse of the wilderness. He noted from the scent of the outside air, as well as the sky becoming cloudy, that it was going to rain soon. He had so many things on his mind, and he knew that if he was with her, he'd somehow feel better, even if it was only temporary. Strange how she seemed to have that effect on him.  
  
Kagome noticed the melancholy look on his face when he turned back to glance at her. He looked almost like a lost child. As the sky grew darker, and the first drops of rain began to fall, Kagome's breath nearly stopped. Something was wrong. Just by looking into those golden orbs, she could tell.  
  
"Inu Yasha...are you all right?" she asked while walking over to his side.  
  
He simply looked back out the window at the rain. "It's just that this place brings back a lot of memories, that's all."  
  
Kagome sat down next to him and also looked out at the rain, enjoying the cool breeze that flowed into the room from it, as well as the fresh scent it gave. Somehow, she felt happy when she was with Inu Yasha. Of course they fought a lot, but she felt that it was his way of covering up how he really felt. Even though he seemed like an arrogant jerk at times, he really was good at heart.  
  
"Ne, Inu Yasha...will you..." she couldn't say it. The words just wouldn't come out. 'Just say it, baka!' she mentally scolded herself.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
Kagome fumbled with the tie on her kimono nervously. He noticed a small blush on her cheeks.  
  
'What is this girl thinking?' He suddenly grabbed her hand to stop the annoying fumbling, then asked again, "What are you asking?"  
  
"W-Well, I was wondering...since this place may be full of man-eating youkai...can you..."  
  
"Spit it out already!" he said, now inches away from her face.  
  
"...stay with me tonight?" she said quickly in a single breath. 'There! I said it! That wasn't so hard, now was it?'  
  
"Is that all? I would've even if you didn't ask. If that bastard Hajime still lives here, then I have to protect you."  
  
Kagome blushed. He would've stayed anyway? Now that's a 180 degree turn! Then she asked curiously, "Who's this Hajime person?"  
  
"He's the biggest sleaze ball of the Inu Youkai clan. He'll take advantage of anything that's female, be they human, or youkai. When I was but a pup, I remember hearing a girl screaming somewhere near my room. I went to see what it was, and there was Hajime, trying to force his attentions on her. Luckily, Sesshoumaru happened to hear the commotion as well, and boy did he put the hurt on that lech. It was actually kinda funny...seeing Sesshoumaru throw a solid golden Buddha statue at his head." Inu Yasha chuckled at the memory. "My half-brother really wasn't all that bad back then."  
  
'Awww...he's so cute when he smiles!' Kagome thought, glad to see him happy for once.  
  
"Anyway," he continued, "I'll protect you from him if he rears his ugly snout."  
  
"Arigatou!" Kagome said cheerfully as she hugged him. "I like it when you protect me," she whispered, knowing he'd hear her. For some reason, she felt safe when he was by her side. That's when Kagome decided that even after it was all over, after Naraku was defeated, her village saved, and everything else, she wanted to stay with Inu Yasha.  
  
Inu Yasha was almost stunned by her sudden show of affection. This was the second time today! Having her warm arms around him made him feel...happy? Yes. That was it. He wrapped his own arms around her as well, content to hold her close and share her warmth as the rain continued to descend from the sky and cleanse the world. He never felt this good before. He was never close like this with anyone...not even Kaede. Sure they were good friends, but never anything more.  
  
'Wait a minute! What the hell am I thinking? I can't possibly have feeling towards this little slip of a miko, can I?' he thought, suddenly feeling nervous at having her so close. Her scent was intoxicating. 'Even if I did...she can't possibly feel the same. No one could ever love a hanyou. No one.'  
  
"Inu Yasha...your heart's beating so fast...are you sure you're okay?" she asked in a gentle voice while looking up into his golden eyes. His eyes were of many mixed emotions, and she could tell he was nervous because of her. It was nearly dark already, but she could still see his silver hair in the last of the light, almost like moonlight on the tree canopies at certain nights.  
  
"Kagome...why do you do this?"  
  
"Hm? Do what?" she asked innocently, knowing full well what he meant.  
  
"Why do you act like you care for me all the time? We barely know each other and here we are hugging..."  
  
Kagome put her finger gently on his lip. "Shhh. It's all right to let others care about you. Don't close your heart anymore, okay? I won't allow that," she smiled, then gently kissed him on the cheek. His felt his face grow warm and knew he was blushing, and yet he was thankful that it was too dark for her to notice.  
  
"K-Kagome...I...," he stuttered, suddenly feeling strange. His heart was racing all because of her. Why? What kind of spell was she putting him under?  
  
"You better go see Sesshoumaru now. It's already dark out."  
  
Inu Yasha nodded, then as she let him up, he walked to the door. He missed her warmth already. As he opened the door to leave, the soft glow of the hall lanterns shined into the room and illuminated Kagome's figure. She looked so pure and angelic in the light. She really was beautiful, he thought as he left the room.  
  
**********  
  
"Inu Yasha, what took you so long? For a moment I thought you may have forgotten to come here."  
  
"Keh! Have more faith in me, will ya!? I was just making sure Kagome was safe."  
  
Sesshoumaru looked pointedly at the hanyou. Basically, he was dallying with the wench, he thought with a look of disdain.  
  
"Sesshoumaru, before you say anything else, I have to get this off my shoulders. Tell me, what happened that night to cause you to hate me and my mother so? What did father do?"  
  
Sesshoumaru took a deep breath. He knew the time would eventually come that he'd have to explain everything.  
  
**********  
  
Two hours had past, and the two sons of Inu Taishou had learned more about each other in that amount of time then they knew all their lives. Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru had finally come to terms with each other, and knew that being enemies in such an unstable time would only lead to their demise.  
  
"We have to fight Naraku together. That's what everything ultimately depends on," Sesshoumaru began, then added, "I remember long ago overhearing a conversation between father and that old hermit, Toutousai. Inu Yasha, that old youkai said that when Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga were used together properly, any enemy could be defeated with ease, however, to achieve this, we have to be synchronized if every way. If only I knew more..."  
  
"Are you saying we should begin some kind of training to utilize this 'power?' And will you even be able to use Tenseiga now that you're a human?" Inu Yasha asked, looking incredulously at Sesshoumaru.  
  
"We have to try. I'm sure Tenseiga will still accept me as its master, but the real problem is that I do not know the techniques for the training itself. Just swinging around our swords isn't going to get us anywhere."  
  
Inu Yasha's ears twitched. He had an idea.  
  
"Why don't we seek out the old coot and ask him what the technique is to combine the sword's powers?"  
  
Sesshoumaru shook his head. Of course that was the obvious thing to do, but there was one problem. "Toutousai, like our father, has perished. I heard that he was killed by the taijiya. We do have one last option, however, but it may take a bit of time..."  
  
"What?"  
  
Sesshoumaru stood up and signaled Inu Yasha to follow him. "Father had a room full of old scrolls and texts. I'm sure there's a scroll on how to do it. Knowing father, he'd document every technique."  
  
Inu Yasha nodded thoughtfully. It was so strange, but he felt happy to be with his brother again. At least their differences were resolved. 'I guess it's nice to know I still have something a family...'  
  
The two continued down the long hall until they finally reached their destination. The room was dusty, very dusty, and the walls were covered by tall book cases full of scrolls. The two looked at each other, then nodded in unison.  
  
"Well, let's get to it."  
  
Then Sesshoumaru lit the wick on the oil candle to lighten up the room, as Inu Yasha began searching through the scrolls. Inu Yasha sneezed as he got a whiff of dust in his nose. It was going to be a looong night!  
  
**********  
  
Kagome was lazily looking out the window. So much had happened since the day she met Inu Yasha. She wondered what lied ahead of them. 'Can we really defeat Naraku, or whoever he is? Kami-Sama, I pray that everyone's all right. Souta, Mama, Grandpa...' A tear slid down her cheek as she thought of her family. She missed having to crack down on her irresponsible little brother, or drink tea with her mother. Even listening to her Grandpa's babble about history was better than the thought of not having him around. Then, hearing a little tap at her door, Kagome wiped the tear away and went to see who it was.  
  
"Aah! Sango-Chan! Is everything all right?" she asked, noticing a frightened looking taijiya.  
  
"Y-Yeah, but I was wondering..."  
  
Kagome smiled brightly at the taijiya woman. "Yes...?"  
  
"Can I stay in here with you tonight? That hentai Houshi keeps trying to claw his way into my room, and I just barely managed to escape his grope- happy hands!"  
  
"Sure...you can stay here..."  
  
Then the two heard the said Houshi calling for Sango. "Sango! Where'd you go? I swear I won't do anything!"  
  
Sango grabbed Kagome's hand. "Please hide me!"  
  
"Hai, Sango-Chan! Come in quick!"  
  
Miroku scratched his forehead. "Ne, Kirara, I could've sworn I just heard Sango. Do you smell her nearby? Sheesh. I just wanted to talk to her! She must be very shy..."  
  
*Squeak!*  
  
"Ahhh...so she's hiding in that miko's room? Hee, hee."  
  
Carefully, Miroku placed his cursed hand on the shoji door and he slowly opened it, peeking one eye in. It was dark, and very quiet...too quiet...Ever so slowly he crept into the room. Kirara ran over to the futon and hopped on a rather strangely shaped lump under the covers. 'Ah ha!' Miroku smirked as he tiptoed over to the 'futon.' He then began an act intended for the girls he knew were there.  
  
"Hmmmm....now what do we have here? A nice, comfy futon! Gee, I am so sleepy...perhaps I should rest here..." Then he promptly jumped onto the futon, feeling sudden squirming and chaotic tossing beneath himself. He could hear muffled 'Eeeks!' and giggles. "Gee, this is the noisiest, bumpiest futon I have ever had the privilege to sleep on!" Miroku laughed.  
  
"Stop! Houshi-Sama! Ha, ha, ha! I beg you!" Sango cried, feeling him tickling her through the blanket.  
  
Kagome peeked out from behind the changing screen. She blew her cover when she burst into hysterical giggles.  
  
"Oh, so the miko IS here? Would you care to join us?" Miroku asked, a perverted grin across his handsome face.  
  
Sango's face was beet red from laughing, also embarrassment. She pushed Miroku off as she sat up, still laughing. "I guess this wasn't such a good hiding spot! Kirara, why'd you give me away like that?"  
  
*Squeak*  
  
Miroku stood up and pretended to dust off his robes. "So, NOW do you wanna talk, Sango?"  
  
"You don't give up, do you, Houshi-Sama?"  
  
"Nope," was his simple reply.  
  
"Miroku-Sama, right? Do you like Sango-Chan?" Kagome asked, causing the taijiya to blush even redder if it was possible.  
  
"Well..." he began.  
  
"You don't know me well enough to like me! Don't be ridiculous! Even if you did, I'm not interested." Sango snapped.  
  
"Your cruel word are like arrows piercing my heart. Oh Sango, haven't you ever heard of 'love at first sight?' Ever since I first saw you in the woods that night, I knew that we were meant to be! Now, I'll ask you this: Will you bear my child?"  
  
Both girls nearly face-faulted at the monk's honest question.  
  
"NO!" Sango growled, whacking Miroku with a pillow. "Just give it up! There's plenty of fish in the sea!"  
  
"Ano ne...maybe you two should tone it down a bit. What if some human- hating Inu youkai were to hear you?" Kagome asked, feeling the youkai energy stirring nearby.  
  
Miroku smiled. "Not to worry. It is my duty to protect beautiful young women..."  
  
"I'm sure it is..." Sango mumbled to herself.  
  
Suddenly, everyone stopped dead in their thoughts as loud footsteps could be heard coming towards the room, reverberating through the hallway. Both the young women instinctively hid behind Miroku. Kagome could sense that it was a youkai....a powerful, as well as dangerous one. As it got nearer, they could hear its deep, heavy breathing.  
  
Then, a smooth, yet frightening voice began to chuckle in a low, threatening tone that sent shivers down all three of their spines. "What have we here? Hm, hm, hm. Three pathetic little human scum in Lord Sesshoumaru's grand estate? I must say, It must be my lucky day to find such tasty creatures here," the youkai snarled as he licked his lips.  
  
It was Hajime. He knew exactly who the humans were...of course his master would keep him well informed. Now was his chance to get rid of them and be rewarded for it. Working for Naraku would finally pay off, he thought as he bared his sharp claws. Lord Sesshoumaru was a fool. So easy to manipulate.  
  
"Say your prayers, because this is the end."  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: Cliffhanger! Haha! Also, I usually get a chapter done on Saturday, but I spent the entire day watching my new Inu Yasha tapes. I couldn't help myself! And I NEED to see episode 80!!! Episode 79 left with the worst cliffhanger! Sorry for taking so long to get this chappy up! Like I've said, blame my school, and blame Inu Yasha! Anyway, I need feedback! Reviews make my world go round, ya know? R+R please! 


	12. From Bad To Worse

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha, but that doesn't mean I can't have fun with him and the others in my demented mind, right? All other characters DO belong to me ^_^.  
  
AN: This week was really busy for me, so I apologize for the long wait, as well as the evil cliffhanger *Hee, hee* I finally got to see the Inu Yasha movie ^__^ At first it seemed mediocre, you know, there's a big bad guy that wants to take over the world, blah, blah, blah, but then it had some parts that were just so incredible! However, poor Sesshy just didn't get enough screen time! Four little scenes just isn't enough! I hope he's in the second movie a bit more. Let's just cross our fingers ^_~. Anyway ^.^;, I'll stop babbling, and enjoy this chapter! Oh, and if you're reading this Zekkita, look out for the 'Ferkalia' spoof ^_~.  
  
Kugutsu- Puppet Naraku uses in place of himself.  
  
Sakura- Cherry blossom.  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Eleven~From Bad To Worse  
  
"Got it? I'll get the guard's attention, then lure them away. You have to disarm the cell. Here, you can use this," Kohaku said as he handed Souta a strange metal lock pick. "Once you get the cell door open, try to keep everyone calm and quiet. Use the escape route I showed you and lead everyone to this spot. After that, we'll figure out where to go before the guards can find us."  
  
Souta swallowed hard. "Are you sure this'll work? I mean, aren't there thousands of guards around? And what about any other taijiya around? How can you possibly lure all of them away without someone seeing when..."  
  
Kohaku cut him off with a pat on the back. "Not to worry. I have a few good tricks up my sleeves, you know. My neighbor is the owner of a kitsune, who I happen to be friends with. Her name is Yume. She's very skilled when it comes to illusions, and I'm sure she can make a 'mock flock' of raging youkai come towards the village. That should distract everyone long enough for us to pull this off. I just have to get her owner to let her leave for a little while..."  
  
Souta nodded in approval to the plan. He crossed his fingers and prayed it would work. Then Kohaku signaled for him to hide in his assigned spot in the bushes while he retrieved their trump card kitsune.  
  
**********  
  
"Yume! I told you to cook the fish, not turn it into a lump of charcoal! Honestly, you are useless as a slave!!!" a bearded man bellowed as he slapped the young girl hard. "I worked my ass off to reach this rank of superiority just so Lord Naraku would allow me to own a slave, and what do I wind up with? A skinny good-for-nothing brat!"  
  
The girl got down on her knees and bowed deeply, placing her head on the floor. "Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! I'll try harder next time, I promise master! I didn't mean to displease you...forgive me!"  
  
"Get out of my sight! Take a walk or something, because I'm going to wind up killing you if I look at your ugly visage a moment longer."  
  
"H-Hai, master. As you wish..."  
  
As the girl exited the hut, she could feel the tightening of her throat. She wanted so badly just to break down and cry, but she knew it would draw unwanted attention to her. She winced a little as she touched her sore cheek. 'Hold yourself together Yume. Someday you'll be free again,' she thought as she slowly walked within the boundaries she was allowed. For being only thirteen, she was incredibly brave. Most other youkai in her situation would've already committed suicide if they had a master like she had. The bruises all over her body were only a small reminder to her of what a sadistic man he truly was. She feared that when she grew older that he'd even try to rape her. Yume shuddered at the thought.  
  
Brushing a long strand of red hair behind a pointed ear, she was even more determined to break away. 'Once I master my powers, I'll leave this horrible place!'  
  
"Pssss!"  
  
Yume turned her attention towards the sound, and there she saw her only friend, Kohaku, waving for her to come to where he was. As her bright turquoise eyes scanned over him, she noticed that he seemed to have an urgent look on his face. She knew that that this was her way out.  
  
**********  
  
Hajime lunged at Miroku first, digging his claws deep into his shoulder. The young man's blood splattered through the stagnant air. Sango and Kagome watched in horror as he fell to the floor in agony, and the twisted Inu youkai set his attentions on them now that their 'protector' was out of the picture. His eyes were glowing red, and he licked his blood stained claws one by one, all the while looking the girls over, contemplating his next move.  
  
"Heh, heh, heh! I love it! The look of fear woven into women's beautiful faces! Perhaps I'll have some fun with you two before I rip out your entrails..."  
  
Kagome reached for the nearest object she could use as a weapon...and incense burner, then she smashed it into the side of his head, causing him to lose his balance. "Sango-Chan! Grab Miroku-Sama and get the hell outta here!"  
  
Sango wanted to protest, but knew that if the monk didn't get some help, he'd surely bleed to death. She nodded, then carefully helped him onto his feet. They got out of the room as fast as they could and began to make their way down the hallway, in hopes of locating Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru.  
  
Meanwhile, Hajime slowly stood back up, slightly leaning on the wall. Fresh blood was dripping down his temple from where she struck him. "There will be no mercy for you, bitch...," he growled in a very threatening tone.  
  
Kagome instinctively took a step back towards the window balcony.  
  
'That's it!' she thought as she suddenly got an idea. As Hajime leaped at her savagely, she quickly ducked under him, then thrust herself upward into his abdomen, putting forth all of her physical strength, then pushing him out the window onto the small balcony. She quickly closed the window shutters and ran full speed out of the room.  
  
"Hah! A wench with spunk! Do you really think you bought yourself some time? Heh!" Hajime cackled as he shredded the shutters into a million splintery pieces and continued to pursue Kagome, his long scraggly hair flowing wildly behind him.  
  
Kagome ran the opposite way of the trail of blood on the wooden floor, knowing it was Miroku's, and not wanting to get him or Sango involved with the youkai. She knew he was gaining on her, but it only motivated her to run faster. Her heart was pumping hard and the only tangible thought she had at the moment was to find a bow and arrows. Her legs went beyond their limits, muscles stretching, sweat began to pour down her forehead. Deep, hard breaths of air shuffled in and out of her heaving lungs. She could feel the keen stab of a cramp in her side.  
  
'I knew I should've exercised more!' she thought, as she suddenly ran into the nearest room she came to. She almost choked at what she saw...  
  
"Look! There's a woman in here!"  
  
"Is she a human?"  
  
"Does Sesshoumaru-Sama know this girl?"  
  
"Who cares! She's a female, so let's have some fun with her!" shouted a tall, dark, and hairy Inu youkai as he leaped out of the hot soapy water.  
  
Kagome turned crimson. She somehow stumbled into a large bathhouse full of naked male Inu youkai. She quickly turned away, highly embarrassed at her choice of rooms to hide in. 'I gotta get out of here!'  
  
As she quickly exited the room, she could hear loud splashing and male voices clamoring about. Some shouted 'Get her!,' while others roared with delight.  
  
"Great! Now I have all of them after me too! This REALLY sucks!" she yelled as she continued to run. Finally, she came upon an exit to the building. It looked like it went into some kind of Zen garden...  
  
Kagome stopped behind a large rock and rested against it, trying to catch her breath. The air was cold and crisp, feeling refreshing against her heated skin. She knew she had to find Inu Yasha, but how? The place was huge! And on top of that, it was full of hentai Inu youkai! She also feared that Hajime would find her. What then? How could she possibly hope to defend herself without any bow and arrows?  
  
"I have to keep moving, because I know if I stay put too long, those bastards will sniff me out!" Kagome told herself as she ran further away from the estate into the darkness.  
  
It was almost instantaneous. Everything was a blur as she felt sharp claws tear down her back. She heard a low chuckle, then everything went black.  
  
**********  
  
"Come on Inu Yasha! Stop messing around and keep looking! The sooner we find the scrolls, the better," Sesshoumaru commanded, still looking through scroll after scroll.  
  
"Keh! It will take us years to look through all of these! Besides, it's getting late, my nose is all stuffed due to this damn dust, and I am tired. Why don't we continue to look first thing in the morning?"  
  
"Fine. But just remember, time is of the essence, Inu Yasha."  
  
Breaking both young men out of their thoughts, Rin ran into the room, out of breath.  
  
"I-Inu Yasha... come quick! The Houshi is badly... wounded, S-Sango... is... treating his wounds... but... Kagome... is..."  
  
"What happened to Kagome?" Inu Yasha asked, his voice suddenly emanating apprehension and anger. His golden eyes were fierce.  
  
"Rin, calm down," Sesshoumaru soothed, "catch your breath first, then tell us what happened."  
  
"Damn it! Just tell me where Kagome is!" Inu Yasha cut in.  
  
"S-She's gone! None of us know where she is..."  
  
"What!?"  
  
Sesshoumaru then spoke up. "Take us to the Houshi and the taijiya. They can tell us what happened."  
  
Inu Yasha had already left the room, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.  
  
'Kagome, where are you? Please be alive!' he thought as he now reached a running pace. His keen sense of smell easily picked up her scent, as well as the scent of blood, both Miroku's as well as someone else's. What the hell had happened?  
  
When he finally reached Kagome's room, he saw the splinters of wood all over the floor, the blood drippings, and a broken incense burner. There was obviously a struggle.  
  
Suddenly Inu Yasha felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Sesshoumaru, a worried look on his face. "The Houshi, Miroku, was attacked... apparently by an Inu youkai. In other words, one of my own men is up to no good. We need to find this person quickly."  
  
"I need to find Kagome first! I'll leave the rest up to you and the others. Her scent still lingers, so I can track her down. And if I find the bastard who did all this, I'll rip him to shreds!"  
  
Sesshoumaru had never seen anyone look so determined. 'Inu Yasha must really care for the wench,' he thought with quiet contemplation. He must have inherited some of their father's less desirable traits...  
  
Inu Yasha then stalked out of the room, following his nose. Luckily, he got over his dust allergy...  
  
**********  
  
"Midoriko-Sama! Ne, ne, is this the right herb?"  
  
"Which one is this, Midoriko-Sama?"  
  
Children?  
  
"Can you show me where to find those?"  
  
"Midoriko-Sama?"  
  
Where? A field? Where am I?  
  
Kagome looked around at the children tugging on her clothing. Red... she was wearing a miko outfit... Somehow, she felt out of place.  
  
"Midoriko-Sama, what's wrong? You don't look so well today. Are you all right?"  
  
Kagome was almost afraid to speak. Who were these children? And why did they keep calling her Midoriko?  
  
"Ano... where is this place?"  
  
One little girl decided to answer her. "This is Sakaichi-Sama's field of herbs, remember? This is where you always take us to teach us about all different kinds and what they do. Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"I-I don't..." Kagome put a hand on her forehead. She felt faint. Why was she here? What was going on? Then she felt her eyelids grow heavy as she felt darkness sweep over her like a warm blanket. She welcomed it.  
  
"Midoriko-Samaaaaa!!!"  
  
She felt pain. Throbbing pain in her head, as well as horrible stinging pains on her back. She slowly opened her eyes, realizing she was completely nude in some kind of cold, oddly scented liquid. She shivered, confused and frightened.  
  
"So, you're finally awake. Unfortunately for you..."  
  
She could hear a deep man's voice coming closer until she could clearly see his silhouette hovering over her. She wanted to run, to get away, but she found herself paralyzed.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked in a shaky voice.  
  
"Ku, ku, ku... Only the man who you tried to ruin hundreds of years ago... right, Midoriko?"  
  
Suddenly Kagome felt even colder. A strange pulse was emanating from her chest.  
  
"That potion that my mistress Urasue made for you will destroy your soul once and for all. You will never again be brought back into this world to thwart my plans. You truly are a wretched miko. Luckily I found you before your true powers could awaken and manifest within yourself. Now, nothing will stand in my way!" The man laughed a deep, sadistic laugh, causing his long, wavy black hair to fall over his trembling shoulders. His very presence seemed to wreak of evil. There was no doubt in Kagome's mind as to who he was. It was definitely Naraku.  
  
Kagome winced in pain. It felt harder to breathe... she knew she had to do something or she was going to die.  
  
"N-Naraku... I don't really understand what your babbling about... but," another jolt of cold made her pause, "get... this straight... My name... is Kagome!"  
  
"Huuu... she's a feisty one, isn't she, Naraku-Sama? If she was a normal human, her soul would be destroyed by now. What a pity," an old youkai woman rasped, tossing some more strange herbs onto Kagome's exposed body.  
  
Kagome could no longer feel her limbs, and her body was shaking violently. 'Am I really going to die like this? No! I-I can't! I have to save my family! And...'  
  
Scenes of her best friend, Kiroku, played in her mind. Her little brother Souta gave one of his goofy smiles... Then she saw Inu Yasha, all alone. With a look so melancholy, she just wanted to be there for him. To hug him and cheer him up. She didn't want it to all end... she had so much to live for, so many things to experience, to learn...  
  
"Inu Yasha...!" Kagome cried out.  
  
"Oh, it seems our miko here is thinking about Inu Taishou's runt of a son. Heh! Now this certainly is interesting!" Urasue snarled. "This ought to do it," she said as she threw the last of the herbs onto Kagome.  
  
The pulse grew stronger and Kagome could feel her soul being drawn out of her body. What was that crazy woman doing to her? More so, why did Naraku want to destroy her? Because she in the reincarnation of Midoriko? It was ridiculous! She had nothing to do with any of this and here she was, about to be eliminated!  
  
Kagome could feel the familiar anger welling up from deep within herself... the same power she felt when she confronted that miko named Kikyo. It was warm, so warm. She let herself embrace it. It grew stronger, almost like a flame was erupting within her, moving outwards. At the moment, she knew not whether using the power was expedient, but she did know that it was her best chance at staying alive.  
  
"I... won't forgive you for this!" Kagome shouted as a huge force burst from her body like a wave, causing all of the liquid to vaporize, and the ceramic altar she was lying upon to shatter into a million shards. Some of them pierced Urasue's wrinkled skin, drawing blood.  
  
Kagome was levitating above the ground, looking just like Midoriko herself. Her hair had grown longer, and her body had matured to that of a full grown woman's. All of her wounds had miraculously healed as well. Urasue's big eyes opened even wider in surprise as well as dread.  
  
"N-Naraku-Sama, t-this shouldn't be happening! What went wrong???"  
  
"Fool. You've awakened Midoriko's powers! It seems you are useless after all," Naraku glared at the ugly old youkai, then held up his hand in her direction. Urasue saw the energy come towards her, then nothingness. Naraku had vaporized her. "Useless..."  
  
"Naraku... how dare you show yourself to those of this realm! You may have defeated me all those hundreds of years ago, but it seems I have weakened you as well. Otherwise it would not have taken you this long to build up such power. Fortunately, I am finally awake after being dormant for so long, thanks to your pathetic attempt to be rid of me."  
  
The voice wasn't Kagome's. It was deeper, more mature. Indeed, the persona of Midoriko had completely claimed her body. Naraku knew this, and yet somehow it excited him. Here he was, faced with the only other living being who's powers rivaled his own. And to think, she was only a human!  
  
"If I cannot destroy you, then I'll absorb you!" Naraku said calmly, powering up his jaki. "Then we will together be the most powerful entity in this realm. How's that?"  
  
Midoriko merely smiled. "You are too filthy to absorb me. I am the epitome of purity. A miko who one such as you can never touch. You disgust me!" she screamed, blasting her powers in his direction so suddenly that he didn't have time to dodge it. His body was smashed up against a large pine tree, and to Midoriko's surprise, it turned into a mess of roots, rather than a bloody youkai. "Kugutsu? So, you're too cowardly to do your own dirty work, Naraku?"  
  
Meanwhile, back in Saizen, at the heart of Naraku's estate, he watched in silent anger as the wooden figure snapped in half. He hadn't expected Midoriko to be resurrected...  
  
**********  
  
Midoriko slowly drifted to the ground, then, to her surprise, she felt her soul stir. The being that she was currently wanted to come back. "Kagome, huh? Fine... I'll allow you to exist once more. After all, we are one in the same..." Then the incredible energy receded back into her body. Her hair grew shorter, as well as everything else. Kagome stood there, in the middle of the forest at night, surrounded by broken ceramic, completely naked...  
  
"This is NOT my day!" she exclaimed, shivering from the frosty night air. It was Autumn after all, and the fact that she had no clothes on wasn't making her situation any better. A quarter moon was the only source of light she had, but considering the fact that she was utterly lost, she knew it wouldn't do her any good to try and navigate through the woods back to Sesshoumaru's place.  
  
"I'm so cold! Damn that Naraku! He could've at least given me a kimono before attempting to kill me! Ne, Midoriko, if you can hear me, please help me to get out of these woods! Heeeeyyyy!!!" she sighed at her futile attempt to bring the miko's persona back. "I'm gonna freeze to death! What a joke!"  
  
She then decided to curl up into a little ball and try to warm herself, knowing it probably wouldn't help, but it was better than running around naked through the woods in a typical hysterical female fashion.  
  
Her eyelids began to grow heavy. She felt so sluggish and tired...  
  
"Kagome! Where are you?"  
  
She tried to open her eyes once she heard what sounded like Inu Yasha in the distance. 'Please let it be him!' she silently prayed. She tried to find her voice, then began to reply to his call, "I'm here!" However, she feared that he wouldn't hear her, since her voice just wouldn't carry. She was so exhausted.  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
Again, she heard his voice. She almost wanted to cry with joy when he finally found her, all curled up against a sakura tree, but she was too spent to even shed a tear... or to be embarrassed as he saw her completely naked...  
  
"Kago... uh..." Inu Yasha stammered as he looked down at the girl he was so desperately searching for... He then removed his outer haori and gently placed it around her shoulders and over her front. She was cold to the touch. "What on earth happened to you?" he asked as he gently picked her up in his strong arms and began to carry her back to the estate. The whole area smelled strange... the smell of death and herbs lingered. Why was Kagome out here like this? It didn't seem to make any sense.  
  
"Inu Yasha...." Kagome began, her voice a hoarse whisper, "arigatou."  
  
He looked down at her smiling face and felt tremendous relief wash over him. She was safe, and didn't appear to be injured. Yet it was strange... he knew that he smelled her blood in the Zen garden, yet she had not a scratch anywhere on her body. Suddenly he felt her grip on his white under haori loosen. She was asleep.  
  
"Kagome...," even though he knew she couldn't hear him, "from now on, I promise I'll protect you. No matter what."  
  
**********  
  
"Of course I'll help! Kohaku-Kun, you can count on me!" Yume exclaimed, happy to hear of her friends heroic plan.  
  
"All right! I'll take you to meet Souta, then we can figure everything out. Follow me."  
  
Perhaps Kohaku's plan was childish, but one ever knows if their ideas will be a great blunder, or a great success. Besides, you don't know if you don't try.  
  
That's what Souta thought. He was nervous that something would go wrong, so he tried to convince himself that it would go right. For every yin there's a yang. 'We can do this! Mama, Grandpa, just wait! You'll be free soon, I know it."  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: Whew! That was an intense (and short) chapter, ne? I hope y'all liked it! The ideas seemed to flow nicely, and I managed to keep the events that happened earlier in the story connected, which isn't always easy to do. Anyway, you know the drill, R+R! 


	13. Two Hearts Beat As One

Disclaimer: Dan Dan kokoro hikareteku, sono mabushii egao ni. Hatenai yami, kara tobidasou, hold my hand!... Er... I don't own the rights to Inu Yasha ^.^;; Or the Dragonball GT opening theme...  
  
AN: Ah... well, I'm on a writing spree, and I just had to get working on this chapter as soon as I could, so here it is! Lucky for you guys that I got a snow day today, huh? Oh yeah, does anyone else out there who's played Kingdom Hearts think that Sephiroth is mad gorgeous in that incredible PS2 CG? Sesshy has a bishounen rival now! Anyway, enjoy this chapter minna! It's full of ooshy, gooshy romance ^_~.  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Twelve~Two Hearts Beat As One  
  
Naraku sat silently in his dark room, staring out at nothing in particular, thinking of the strange twist of events that had occurred that evening. Midoriko was reborn, and worse yet, reawakened. His fist clenched tightly as he remembered his close encounter with that wretched miko. The only being capable of destroying him. It was perfectly obvious that he had to get rid of her, but how? He needed to find her greatest weakness and utilize it to tear her apart at the seems.  
  
Yet, it always seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he could never corrupt that woman. He thought he succeeded four hundred and eighty some odd years ago. Ahh, it had been such a long time. Naraku snickered at the memories.  
  
"Hm, hm, Midoriko... soon I will be far stronger than you, and I'll make sure that you never come back... This world will be soaked in your blood."  
  
Then a woman clad in a very colorful kimono quietly stepped foot into the room.  
  
"Naraku-Sama, when are we going to kill those disgusting humans? Each day they draw on my fragile patience further and further."  
  
"Now, now, Kagura, you know what I have planned for all of them. You mustn't be impatient. I will use those pathetic peasants to draw Midoriko, then I can crush her with grief as I murder them right in front of her, one by one," Naraku sneered.  
  
"Hai," was Kagura's dry reply.  
  
"Now go make yourself useful and find out Midoriko's weakness. She looks like an average adolescent female, but you'll recognize her aura assuredly. Hajime found her in Sesshoumaru's estate, so she's probably there now. I doubt her body was able to sustain Midoriko's persona for too long... she must be herself by now. We still have time to be rid of her. The one known as 'Kagome' seemed to be more dominant in the body than Midoriko, so it's a good possibility. As for Sesshoumaru, since he's a human now, he poses no threat, but watch out for the hanyou. Do you understand?"  
  
"Hai, Naraku-Sama."  
  
**********  
  
~Warm... so warm. I wish I could stay wrapped in this warmth forever, but I know it cannot be so. I'll wake up, and reality will reveal itself as it has many, many times before. I want to stay where I can always hear this peaceful heartbeat. I want to stay. Please, just let me stay.~  
  
Kagome turned in her sleep, slowly rising and falling with each long breath Inu Yasha took. His chest substituted for a pillow, and her dark hair flowed over him like a wave of silk. They were both covered in warm blankets, and his right arm was resting around her protectively.  
  
Inu Yasha slowly opened his eyes. The room was still dark, indicating that dawn hadn't arrived yet. He yawned lightly, then lifted his left hand to rub his sleepy eyes. His other hand began to gently caress Kagome's back. He blushed as he remembered having to dress her last night since she was unconscious and obviously incapable of doing it herself. Images of her kept pouring into his mind, and he tried to shake them off, but to no avail. She was beautiful. As afraid as he was to admit it, he had to. But it wasn't just physical beauty... there was something about Kagome that made him feel secure inside. He couldn't quite place it, but he knew that somehow she was special, not like any other. Perhaps that was why he felt drawn towards her, almost like a moth to a flame.  
  
His lips curved in a gentle smile. In all of his life he never thought of any human in this way. Sure Kagome was a bit pushy at times, moody, and as always, getting in his business, but she cared for him. She actually cared for him. She didn't even seem phased by the fact that he was a hanyou. A creature to be shunned by all societies. Sure she thought his ears were funny, but... well, maybe they were. She just wanted him to open up, and unlike Kaede so many years ago, perhaps she was going to succeed.  
  
'Hmph, Kagome, you really are something. Such a strange girl.'  
  
So much had happened ever since he met her. She placed a rosary on him, but he didn't seem to mind that as much anymore. He made up with his brother after so many years of pain and misunderstandings. He'd learned to deal with his past a lot better due to her optimistic pointers on their travels together. He didn't seem to feel phased by what happened in the past much anymore... he now had a future to look forward to.  
  
Let's not forget that he'd already saved her a few times, and now here he was, with this strange, yet incredible person sleeping soundly on his chest. She was so cold the night before that he was afraid to let her sleep alone. Kagome was a strong person, but somehow she was just as frail. He came to understand this overtime he witnessed her crying... and after last night...  
  
Once again, Kagome stirred in her sleep. Inu Yasha sifted his fingers through her soft hair, hoping she was having pleasant dreams. After all she's been through, she deserved it.  
  
'Now that I think about it, Kagome's suffered more crap over these past few days than I have my whole life. That just makes one more good reason for me to protect her. I don't want to lose her... my friend...'  
  
The word 'friend' seemed kind of vague to him, but for now, it truly was what Kagome was to him, right? A friend he could care for and protect. But was that really all he wanted? Inu Yasha wasn't sure what he wanted, but he knew that as long as Kagome was safe, everything would be all right.  
  
"Inu...Ya...," Kagome mumbled in her sleep, causing another smile to form on the hanyou's face. Was she dreaming about him? He wondered.  
  
~When I'm with you I feel safe. I hope you will always protect me, and in return, I will stand by your side forever. As long as I remain myself, just let me stay with you.~  
  
Kagome slowly opened her eyes, feeling tired and disoriented, yet she felt so warm and safe. She could feel a hand stroking her hair, and she could hear a heart beating beneath her. She turned her foggy gaze upward and was captured by a beautiful pair of golden eyes, which shone in the dim light from the moon outside the partially opened window.  
  
"Inu Yasha?"  
  
"Shhh," was his reply. He knew she would start asking questions, but he wanted the peace to last just a little longer. "Go back to sleep. You need your rest."  
  
She brought a hand up to his cheek and felt his soft skin. "I've slept too much," she said with a small smile. Then she moved up on his chest a bit further so she could whisper into his ear. "So tell me, did you like what you saw?"  
  
The question threw Inu Yasha completely off guard and his heart nearly stopped. If she meant what he thought she meant...  
  
"Well...?" she asked again.  
  
By now his cheeks were a rosy tint and his heart was beating a little faster. He had to think quick. If he said yes, she'd probably smack him and say he was a hentai, but on the other hand...  
  
'What the hell am I thinking?!' he mentally scolded himself. Then he said tersely, "I didn't see anything. It was too dark."  
  
Kagome began giggling. He was so adorable when he was flustered. She then began to tickle his furry ear with her idle fingers, enjoying their softness. "You know I'm joking, right?"  
  
Inu Yasha made his usual 'keh!' then said, "That was obvious!" knowing that he was only making a goof of himself. As for the ears... "Stop it, will ya? That tickles!"  
  
"It's supposed to!" Kagome chuckled. He was such a big baby! "Let's just say this is payback for you seeing me naked."  
  
"I already told you that I didn't see anything!"  
  
"You liar. This kimono on me didn't just materialize out of nowhere," she said as she sat up and straddled Inu Yasha, who was once again blushing.  
  
"Fine! I dressed you, ok? But I didn't look on purpose or anything..."  
  
By now, Kagome was all out laughing.  
  
"What's so damn funny?"  
  
"Ha, ha, ha, oh, you are so fun to tease! I bet you're as red as your haori right about now. If it wasn't so dark in this room..."  
  
"Hey! I don't blush like a little girl! Now if you don't mind, get offa me!"  
  
Kagome merely leaned in close to his face. So close they were practically sharing the same breath. "Or else what?"  
  
"This," he stated in a low, almost seductive voice as he lifted his face towards hers, sealing the gap between them with a kiss. Kagome's eyes opened wide with slight shock at first, but then they drifted closed and she melted into his lips. The kiss was slow and gentle, neither going any further for fear of ruining the moment. Somewhere during this time, he wrapped his arms around her slim body and pulled her close, needing to feel her warmth again.  
  
Both of their hearts were beating fast, almost in a perfect rhythm with each other. After a little while, the two ended the kiss for some much needed air. Both were speechless, not sure of what to say, or if even they wanted to speak.  
  
Kagome laid back down, resting her head below his chin. What was happening to her? She never felt this way about anyone, and now...  
  
Inu Yasha was also caught up in his thoughts. That word 'friend' had flown right out the window when he made that move. At least she didn't seem to mind. He was afraid, as he had been his whole life up until now, of being rejected, but Kagome didn't reject him. She was different from other humans, because she was his.  
  
That thought in itself made Inu Yasha feel a wave of joy he had never known before. Kagome was his. A wide smile graced his features as he hugged her tighter. He finally had a real purpose in his life, and knowing that made his heart soar.  
  
"Ne, Inu Yasha?"  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Do you really mean it? That you'll always protect me?"  
  
His ears twitched with surprise. She was awake to hear him say that?  
  
"I mean it, Kagome."  
  
"And will you always let me stay with you, even after this whole ordeal is over?"  
  
Inu Yasha nodded, then gave her a sincere promise. "I've never felt this way about anyone before, but if what I think I'm feeling for you is real, I just want you to know that these feelings are no lie. I don't know how I came to feel this way, after all, we used to fight all the time, and I haven't even known you for very long, but perhaps it wasn't a coincidence that we met."  
  
"Inu Yasha, you took the words right out of my mouth," Kagome said as she placed a soft, quick kiss on his tender lips. Then she followed her kisses all the way down over his jaw line to the junction between his neck and his collar bone. He shivered involuntarily at her sweet touch, feeling flames of something wonderful, yet frightening at the same time. He then felt her begin sucking gently on his neck, leaving a small red mark.  
  
"There. Now you have my mark, so nobody else can have you."  
  
"Is that how you humans mark your mates?" he asked, genuinely curious.  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"But it's not permanent, you know. Youkai do something similar, but it's a bit more painful..."  
  
Kagome wanted to know what it was, which made her inclined to ask. "Well, what do youkai do?"  
  
"They bite their partner's neck, leaving a semi-permanent scar, and they drink some of their blood, sealing their bond of fate for the rest of their lives."  
  
Kagome's stomach turned slightly at the thought. "That's... uh... interesting..."  
  
Then she felt Inu Yasha shake beneath her with laughter. For some unknown reason, she began laughing too, that is, until the shoji door to their room was slid open, revealing a very sleepy looking Miroku, as well as Sango.  
  
Kagome nearly leaped off Inu Yasha, embarrassed to be seen on top of him by the others. Miroku gave a lopsided grin and said, "Sorry if we disturbed you two, but can you please keep it down? We're trying to sleep!" Sango nodded in agreement.  
  
"G-Gomen!"  
  
Then as the two left, Inu Yasha poked his head out from under the covers and looked at Kagome. Both of them stifled a laugh, not wanting to draw attention again.  
  
"We should go back to sleep," Inu Yasha suggested.  
  
"Hai."  
  
**********  
  
Kagura gave a wry smile. So that was the puny little human that had her lord so upset? She didn't look very threatening. As she gazed through the window, she witnessed all the tender scenes between the girl and the hanyou. It was a sickening display, however, at least she knew the wench's weakness. Take out the hanyou, and it's all over.  
  
As she hopped on her large feather and flew back to Saizen in the crisp air of the early dawn, she laughed at her good fortune. Perhaps Naraku would set her free for this. After all, she never wanted to be his servant in the first place.  
  
"Naraku... you better set me free, otherwise, I may just turn on you," she said to herself. But, she knew she probably couldn't do it. He was far too powerful, and he had her heart, literally. 'Damn,' she sighed.  
  
She had her own battle to fight, but for now, she was willing to give in. Little did Kagome and Inu Yasha know...  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: ...So.... tired.... zzzzzz..... sorry this chapter is so short, but I am soooo tired right now.... R+R.... please....... zzzzzzzzzzzzz.............. 


	14. Too Late

Disclaimer: Well, you see... I DON'T OWN INU YASHA! However, I DO OWN ALL ORIGINAL CHARACTERS! Thank you for listening... er... reading.  
  
AN: Ok, so this took me a month (or two) to get out. I know some of you are threatening me, but it's not easy being an 11th grader! I do have tons of things to do, and I've been very busy with projects, mentoring, tutoring, project lift, writer's block, FF7, blah, blah, blah. So please, don't lose hope and stop reading the story! Onegai~~~~~!!! *begs on hands and knees* After all, if you forgot what the hell the story's about, you can always re- read it, ne? Maybe you'll notice some things you never noticed before ^.^;;  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Thirteen~Too Late  
  
Souta crouched down low next to the village jail entrance, anxiously awaiting Kohaku's signal. The village jail was a large bamboo complex with an underground dugout, where all the Kinryoku villagers were kept. Soon the town would be buzzing with panic stricken taijiya. It was at that moment that Souta was to knock out the main guard who wasn't allowed to leave the cell area no matter what, come hell or high water. Then he'd steal the keys and set everyone free. Kohaku was hiding nearby on the roof of one of the smaller buildings, ready to jump down and guide them all to safety.  
  
Meanwhile, as the sun sunk into the weary earth, Yume began chanting an incantation, summoning all the spirits she could into her body. Over the few years of her life, she had pushed herself to learn how to utilize her powers. Unbeknownst to her cruel owner, she was considered to be as skilled as an adult kitsune, having mastered every basic spell and most of the more intricate ones.  
  
The sky grew even darker as gray, foreboding clouds swirled to life. Lightening could be seen streaking through them, lighting up the sky a little, then growing dark once again. The Saizen taijiya were already on alert, knowing something was to come.  
  
"There's going to be a slew of the damn things, so get your asses ready to fight!" the general of the village yelled as he rode his black horse around the buildings calling forth a militia of taijiya. The people threw their armor on with an amazing speed that could only be achieved by years of experience.  
  
As expected, swarms of blood thirsty youkai reared their ugly faces as well as fearsome claws and weapons. It seemed as if the whole sky was blocked by them. Chaos ensued as the taijiya flew into battle on horseback, as well as on foot. Arrows took flight, piercing the flesh of monsters of all kinds. Axes and swords sliced through armor, scales, fur, bones and anything else in their path.  
  
Yume knew that if Souta and Kohaku didn't hurry, the taijiya would eventually figure out that all the youkai they were fighting were merely a clever illusion. They'd eventually turn into harmless leaves, revealing that kitsune magic had been used. Since she was the only kitsune in the village capable of such a trick, she'd be hunted down immediately. "Hurry up you two!"  
  
Meanwhile, Souta had successfully taken care of the prison guard, having knocked him over the head with a rather large rock that he stole from a nearby Zen garden, and he was nervously fumbling with the keys to get the cage like door open. After a minute, he finally got it, then quickly ran down the bamboo steps into the heart of the cell. Looking around, he noticed everyone lying lifeless on the ground. His heart nearly stopped as he felt warm liquid seeping into his sandals and coating the bottoms of his feet... blood. Everyone was...  
  
"Mama!? Grandpa!? Everyone!? How... h-how could this have happened?! Why!!?? Oh Kami-Sama!!!" he cried as he ran to the still bodies that used to be his loving family. It appeared that they were sliced to death by some type of sword...  
  
"Hm, hm, hm... so, it looks like you arrived just a minute too late. Too bad. I was hoping for a good show. Children just don't know how to plan these days. Heh, heh, heh!"  
  
Out from a dark corner of the room, Souta wiped the tears out of his eyes to see the figure of a man with long black wavy hair and a dark maroon kimono, eyes glowing an eery red in the dim light of the cell.  
  
"Y-you did this, didn't you?" Souta said between clenched teeth, a river of hot tears pouring down his red cheeks once again. His fists were clenched so hard that he drew blood as his nails dug into his heated flesh. A rage began to overtake him. It was frightening to him to feel such a rage that he could kill. Kill the man standing in front of him holding a sword covered in the blood of all his family and friends. That man... that man should be bathed in blood just like his family! "You bastard!!!" Souta screamed as quickly ripped the sword out of the man's hands. "I'll kill you!!!"  
  
"Hmph. A mere human boy thinks he can kill the great Naraku. Ku, ku, ku! Learn your place in this world boy!" Naraku growled as he knocked Souta back with a wave of jaki.  
  
"Souta-Kun!!!!!" Kohaku screamed as he entered the room, noticing the horrible scene.  
  
"Kohaku, you know what the punishment is for betraying your lord, do you not?"  
  
"Naraku! How could you do such a thing!? Anyone who would slay so many innocents can never be my lord!" Kohaku spat, helping Souta up, who was coughing from the jaki. Kohaku noticed Souta began to cough up blood. "You're no human, but a cleverly disguised youkai! This room reeks of your jaki... You've been deceiving all of us taijiya all this time. I won't let you get away with this!"  
  
Naraku sneered, "And what do you think you can do about it?" Then with a smooth motion, he raised his left hand and sent a powerful blast of energy in the boy's direction. Neither were prepared, or even capable, of dodging such an immensely powerful attack. "Nobody will no of who I really am until the time comes for me to render this pathetic world dead."  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
As the ground began to shake violently, the taijiya halted in their assault of the false youkai and watched in shock as the entire prison imploded, leaving behind a mess of bamboo and a cloud of dirt. Something must've happened underground to make such a thing happen. this had a few of the taijiya suspicious that a youkai had infiltrated the prison...  
  
"Don't take your eyes off the enemy! This battle's not over yet!" the general shouted as he forced back more of the youkai. "Our job is to rid the world of these foul beasts! Remember that!"  
  
Yume began to grow tired due to the immense expenditure of her energy. Some of the youkai had already began turning back into leaves. She wondered how Souta and Kohaku were doing... they should've been home free by now, but something triggered her senses. She had a sudden sinking feeling. They didn't make it out.... neither did any of the other villagers. Yume couldn't sense their life forces.  
  
Her throat grew tight and her eyes filled with unshed tears. They were all dead? But how could something like this happen? The thoughts ran errant through her mind until eventually she collapsed, no longer able to continue her spell due to her exhaustion and the shock of losing the only people who were brave enough to try to break away. Was this how it always ended?  
  
The clouds slowly dissipated into thin air, and all the youkai turned into leaves which fluttered gently to the earth. The taijiya men and women looked on in disbelief, realizing they were fooled. The general huffed in anger. It was the work of a lofty kitsune... and which ever one it was, he'd be sure to skin it and hang it's fur on his wall.  
  
Naraku appeared from amidst the chaos, then held up his hand as a signal for everyone to remain silent as he spoke.  
  
"Taijiya of Saizen, as your lord and leader, I am responsible for the well- being of each and every one of you. In this time of war, I wish luck to all of you who fight bravely to win this world back for the human race. However, I am sad to say that all of the villagers of Kinryoku... are no longer with us. Had they seen things eye to eye with us, they wouldn't have suffered their fates. Let this be a lesson to all of you. Know that your loyalty lies with humans, not youkai. Now, to all the able bodied people out there, please take care to clean up the mess and dispose of the bodies. Oh, and one last thing. I want you, general Tsubaru, to find the youkai that did all this and bring it back to me... alive."  
  
With that, he walked slowly up a small flight of wooden steps and disappeared into his building, leaving behind a silent crowd. The general smirked, proud that the lord would put him up to the task.  
  
"I will not fail you, my Lord."  
  
**********  
  
Kagome rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she sat up, careful not to disturb the hanyou who was peacefully snoring next to her. For some reason, she felt a slight pang in her chest, a tightening of her throat. Her eyes began to brim with tears which she quickly wiped away with the sleeve of her sleeping kimono.  
  
"What is wrong with me?" she asked herself in a whisper. Everything seemed to be all right, heck, she even admitted her feelings to Inu Yasha, and he to her last night, yet something felt out of place. Something was missing, almost like a piece of her soul had vanished. She tried to shake the foreboding feeling, but to no avail. Quietly getting up, she slowly headed towards the door, before feeling a hand wrap around her ankle and a raspy voice say, "Where do you think you're going?"  
  
"I-Inu Yasha... you're awake... " Kagome turned to the rising hanyou with a warm smile, trying to hide her unusual feeling of discomfort. He released her ankle and stood up, not noticing the blush creeping onto her cheeks at the sight of his bare, well muscled chest. He reached up to scratch one of his fuzzy ears with one hand, while covering a yawn with the other. Just the sight of him made Kagome feel a little better. Now that she knew what they felt for each other was real, she had no doubt he would keep his promise and always protect her. Gracefully walking up to him, she embraced Inu Yasha in a warm hug, slightly surprising him. He still wasn't quite used to his new situation.  
  
"Inu Yasha, I have a question for you," Kagome began, the feeling that frightened her returning.  
  
He nodded for her to continue.  
  
"I was wondering... is there any way we can get into Saizen without being caught? I mean... well... I'm really worried about my family and my fellow villagers. Naraku has them trapped there, after all. Who knows what kinds of torture he may be putting everyone through." Her eyes began to fill with tears again, which alarmed Inu Yasha.  
  
"Kagome, you know we can't get anywhere near that place until we are ready to take on Naraku. I understand the anxiety you must feel, but we all have to be patient." He gently kissed her forehead as he tried to comfort her as she began to sob.  
  
At that precise moment, Sesshoumaru, Rin, and the fumbling Jaken practically busted the shoji door down, all three panting as if they had run a marathon to get there.  
  
"What the hell did the cat drag in this time?" Inu Yasha smirked at the amusing and highly uncharacteristic scene. Kagome blushed deeply at being caught with the half-naked hanyou, while he was kissing her forehead...  
  
"Enough of your revolting sarcasm!" Sesshoumaru said while trying to catch his breath. Being human had taken a lot of his endurance, as well as his keen ability to compose himself. He quickly took out a dusty, old, and very fragile rice paper scroll. "This is it. Father's ultimate technique."  
  
"Nani? Is that really it? Are you absolutely sure?" Inu Yasha asked as he released Kagome and quickly put his haori back on.  
  
"I bet on my life. That's definitely it."  
  
"How dare you doubt the great Sesshoumaru-Sama! Even if he is a scatter brained human..." Jaken mumbled after the 'great' part, earning a swift kick in the rear by his disgruntled lord. Rin barely contained a giggle.  
  
"Foolish toad! Do you forget where your loyalty lies? As soon as Inu Yasha and I learn this technique, I will surely become full youkai once again."  
  
Everyone looked at Sesshoumaru with questioning eyes. How was this possible?  
  
Inu Yasha took the scroll from Sesshoumaru's hands and carefully unrolled it. It was full of delicate calligraphy that was written in their ancient Inu youkai tongue. "You can translate this, right?" the hanyou asked incredulously.  
  
"Do you take me for a fool? Of course I can!" Sesshoumaru snapped. lately he'd been having outbursts of emotion to the likes of which he'd never experienced before. He felt tainted by the human blood coursing through his veins, and he cursed himself for being so careless. All because of a damned scroll!  
  
Rin placed a gentle hand on his tense shoulder and gave him a warm smile, which calmed him considerably. Ever since he met her, he felt whole, as if she was always meant to be beside him. However, he would never admit this to her. He found it hard enough to just admit it to himself. Perhaps it was because he was a human that he felt the way he did? No... he was feeling this way before he was turned into a mortal. And what of Inu Yasha? Had he not been kissing the forehead of that miko wench when he barged into the room? Was every son of Inu Taishou doomed to fall in love with human females?  
  
"Hellloooooo???? Anyone in there????" Inu Yasha asked as he waved a clawed hand back and forth in front of Sesshoumaru's face. "Now's not the time to be daydreaming, you know."  
  
"Keh! I was not, fool!" Sesshoumaru spat. It was humiliating enough to be an emotion sap, but to be caught off guard by his hanyou half-brother was just unbearable!  
  
"Well, better start translating. We can't waste any more time," Inu Yasha said, earning a small smile from Kagome. He suddenly seemed so... mature? Well, he was acting like a leader any ways...  
  
Sango suddenly popped her head into the room, curious of all the noise. "So, are things finally going to get rolling?" she asked, having noticed the old scroll in Inu Yasha's hands.  
  
Miroku appeared behind her, half asleep. "Whaa...zat??" he yawned. His shoulder still hurt a bit, but since Sango did such a superb job of patching the wound, he almost forgot he had it as he placed a hand on it to remind himself it was still there.  
  
"Good. Now that everyone's here, we can make a plan."  
  
And so began the brain storming of six people and a toad youkai...  
  
**********  
  
Yume slowly sat up, feeling cool rain drops fall onto her face from the tree leaves above her. She looked around, surprised that she hadn't been found while she was unconscious. Kami-Sama must've wanted her to live... but she felt absolutely horrible. Her only friends were gone. What was she to do? Her heart felt heavy as she slowly stood up and stumbled, grabbing the tree for support. Her head felt like a lead balloon. Perhaps using all of that magic wasn't agreeing with her body...  
  
"Ko... ha... ku...," she sobbed. And, even though she didn't know him for very long, she sobbed for Souta as well. Life was just one cruel turn of events after another, with no end in sight. She fell to her knees as a fresh wave of sobs racked through her tiny adolescent body. She knew it wouldn't be long until the taijiya found her.  
  
"I'll... be joining you all... s-soon...," she whimpered. "Wait for me."  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: *Sniff* Well, this fic certainly lives up to its 'angst' rating, ne? Once again, sorry for the short chapter. Anyway, I'll try my best to continue working on this fic on a more consistent basis, but I find that time is hard to come by latley. Well, there's always Christmas vacation ^_~. R+R! 


	15. Bakaryuuha

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Inu puppy boy etc., but I DO own all original characters and the twisted brain that is writing this fic ^_~.  
  
AN: Well, it's finally Xmas break, I've finished FF7, and I'm able to write again. Yay! Enjoy this chapter! Oh, and all the stuff about Ryuukotsusei is obviously inaccurate to the series, but since this IS a fanfic, who cares, ne? And I think I'll write shorter chapters from now on, since it's easier for me and I'll be able to get the chapters out sooner too.  
  
Kaze no kizu- Wound of the wind.  
  
Bakaryuuha- Does anyone know what this attack translates as? I forget ^_^;;  
  
Inu Yasha-tachi- Literally means, 'the Inu Yasha's,' but it is basically translated as 'the Inu Yasha group.'  
  
Oi- Hey.  
  
Youki- A.K.A. shouki. Is also a form of energy emitted from youkai, like jaki.  
  
Uso!- No way! (Lie!)  
  
Ganbare- Good luck.  
  
Teme- Another derogatory way of saying 'you,' often translated as bastard, or bitch.  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Fourteen~Bakaryuuha  
  
"Will you hurry up? This is a serious mission, you know!" Inu Yasha argued as Kagome and the others strived to keep up with his inhuman pace through the twisting forest path.  
  
"Okay, remind me again why the HELL we have to follow the directions of some STUPID old scroll that leads us out in the middle of NOWHERE?" Kagome complained, more than just a little fed up with Inu Yasha's 'high and mighty' attitude. The group had been walking for a little over five hours at breakneck speed to get to a small, desolate area that resembled an average clearing in the woods.  
  
Jaken took a few nervous steps towards his now human lord. "Ano... Sesshoumaru-Sama, are you sure you translated the text correctly? I see nothing here that would be of any use to us..."  
  
"Do you dare question my knowledge of the ancient youkai texts?! Of course this is the place!" Sesshoumaru growled in annoyance, something he's done a lot lately.  
  
"H-Hai!" Jaken groveled at his feet in apology. Rin giggled to herself at the antics between Sesshoumaru and the toad. She had grown used to being around them, and a feeling of content came over her to know that she was not alone in her mission. There was her friend Kagome, the hanyou Inu Yasha, a hentai Houshi named Miroku and his taijiya companion Sango with her adorable neko youkai, Kirara. Everyone had the same goal: defeat Naraku and end the age old war. Sure, it sounded noble, but could they really pull it off? Could they change the beliefs of youkai and humans alike? She shook her head slightly and took a deep breath of the crisp autumn air. 'We can do it!' she thought to herself, then added, 'we have to if we want to survive...'  
  
Miroku and Sango stopped and sat on a upraised tree root, rubbing their sore feet. Kirara curled up next to Sango to take advantage of the break time. Even Sesshoumaru was a bit weary, and he cursed himself for it.  
  
Then, as if hearing everyone's thoughts and complaints, Inu Yasha decided to fill the others in on why they were there. Sesshoumaru, of course, knew a bit more then he did, so he'd let him do most of the talking.  
  
"This is the place. Sesshoumaru, go ahead and explain to these whiny people about why we walked all those hours to get to 'the middle of NOWHERE,' he said in a feminine tone to mock Kagome's earlier complaint. Of course, she shot him a nasty look.  
  
Sesshoumaru walked a little further on ahead of Inu Yasha then placed his hand on an old tree, a slight smile crossing his handsome features. "This is an old friend of our father's."  
  
Everyone but Inu Yasha looked at Sesshoumaru like he had two heads. Rin was especially dumbfounded.  
  
"A tree? We came all this way to hear that your father was friends with a freaken tree?!" Kagome growled, "This is so stupid it's unbelievable!"  
  
"Hmmm, hmmmm. My, it has been so long since I have been graced with the presence of youth!"  
  
Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin as a raspy voice came from the tree. Accommodating the voice, a face appeared as well through the old twisted bark. The taijiya and Houshi were equally surprised.  
  
Then Sesshoumaru continued, "This is Bokusenou, an ancient tree from whose branches the scabbards of Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga were made."  
  
"So tell me, what has brought the sons of the great Inu Taishou to me this fine day? And how have ye located me if ye had never before been here?" Bokusenou asked.  
  
"This," Inu Yasha said casually as he held up the old scroll for the tree to see. "Our father left this to us. After many days of translating it, we found that we should go to you to learn father's ultimate combat technique involving the Tetsusaiga and the Tenseiga.  
  
"Now I've seen everything... a talking tree...," Sango murmured to no one in particular. Miroku, noticing her apprehension, wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to himself.  
  
"Do not fear Sango. I will protect you..."  
  
*Slap!*  
  
"Not with your hand on my ass!" she yelled as she left the poor misguided monk to lay on the cold ground rubbing the red hand mark on his swollen cheek.  
  
"Love... hurts..."  
  
"Ahem! As I was saying, we've traveled a long distance and have finally located you. Please, will you tell us how we may perform these techniques... and ...uh... what they are exactly?" Inu Yasha asked as he scratched a furry ear.  
  
The venerable old tree smiled, causing it's bark to make creaking noises. "Haaaa, haaaa! Of course I can fill ye pups in on the secret. First you see... hm? Thou art Sesshoumaru, yet thou art human? How can this be? Well, no matter. As long as the love is in thy heart, you shall be able to wield the Tenseiga. That is part of the key to the technique."  
  
Sesshoumaru looked confused. "What do you mean by 'love' in my heart? Perhaps my love for battle?"  
  
"Hmmm, hmmm. Truly a pup indeed. Your father, Inu Taishou, created both of those swords with the hopes that someday both of you boys will grow to love human kind just as he had. That love is the source of power for both the Tetsusaiga and the Tenseiga. Without that love somewhere within your hearts, neither of you two would have ever been able to wield those fangs. Whether it is love you've had for your human mother, Inu Yasha, or love for another human... And Sesshoumaru, can one of those blushing human females be the one to steal your heart?" The tree smiled broadly, noticing a hint of discomfort from the Inu brothers as well as the two young girls that accompanied them there. He had a keen sense for these sort of things, being so closely associated with nature and all.  
  
Both Kagome and Rin found themselves blushing furiously, knowing who the old tree was referring to, as well as knowing full well where the Inu brother's love was truly centered.  
  
'When Sesshoumaru saved my life... he used Tenseiga. He must've cared then...' Rin remembered, getting a nostalgic look upon her face.  
  
Kagome also had thoughts of herself and Inu Yasha... the sweet kisses they had shared after revealing their feelings to each other... his warm embrace... his bare chest... 'Whoa! Now I'm thinking too far!' she scolded herself for the development of some very impure thoughts.  
  
Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, fought off a blush, and continued his questioning. "Yes, I understand. But let's get straight to the point. What do Inu Yasha and I have to do to use father's ultimate technique?"  
  
"Well... you two must combine the swords into one blade."  
  
"Okay... so, how do we go about this?" Sesshoumaru was growing impatient with the tree's short answers.  
  
"Well, first, both of you must master your swords. Inu Yasha, have you learned the bakaryuuha yet?"  
  
"Baka~what? Sounds stupid *pun intended*" Inu Yasha smirked.  
  
"I take that as a 'no.' Have you at least learned the kaze no kizu?"  
  
Kagome stepped closer. "If that's the attack where he wipes out a ton of enemies with one swing, yeah, he's learned that. I am a witness!"  
  
Inu Yasha patted her playfully on the head and smiled. "Well, I guess I learned something."  
  
"That is good to hear. Come back after you've learned the bakaryuuha." With that said, Bokusenou's face faded away into the old tree, leaving a slightly annoyed hanyou and even more frustrated Sesshoumaru.  
  
Kagome tried to break the tense atmosphere, feeling that the brothers were about to go off any second and threaten to rip the tree apart if he did not simply tell them the technique. "So, whadaya say we go and practice, ne? Come on! It'll be a good opportunity for you to brush up on your skills Inu Yasha. And Sesshoumaru... you can train a bit too. I believe in both of you! Let's go find some place to practice..."  
  
"Keh! There's no time for this! Hey! Bokusenou! Come back out!!! There's more we need to know!!! OIIIIII!!!!!!" Inu Yasha shouted at the tree, ready to kick it. Kagome then decided to use force...  
  
"I said COME ON!" she growled as she grabbed a now squirming Inu Yasha by a sensitive ear. Rin did likewise with Sesshoumaru, since he too was about to have a bout with the poor old tree. Miroku and Sango laughed at the scene. It was almost as if they were watching a drama between two married couples.  
  
And so, the Inu Yasha-tachi made their way through the forests, fighting weak youkai along the way that dared to attack them. Inu Yasha didn't feel any closer to learning the bakaryuuha, and instead decided to practice with Kirara.  
  
"Go for it Inu Yasha! And try not to hurt Kirara!" Kagome called out from a good thirty feet away. She was comfortably seated on a moss covered log, along with Sango, Miroku, Rin, and Jaken. They were eating some rice balls that Rin had prepared earlier.  
  
"You too Sesshoumaru-Samaaaaaa!!! Now that you're a human you gotta strengthen those nice muscles, ne?" Rin called out to him.  
  
Both of the Inu brothers snorted at the way those females spurred them on. It was ridiculous. Sesshoumaru was especially not used to being talked to in such a way. But he would let it slide for now... as long as he was human anyway.  
  
"Ready Kirara? Here it comes!"  
  
Inu Yasha held up the Tetsusaiga towards the now transformed neko youkai. He waited for the winds of youki to collide, finally revealing the kaze no kizu. For the first time he understood what the attack was. The first time he used it, well, it was a fluke. However, he now knew it's secret and would utilize it to the best of his abilities. But what truly puzzled him was the bakaryuuha. Somehow, he felt that the kaze no kizu was the key to unlocking this new potential...  
  
"Good job Kirara. I see the kaze no kizu, but I will not swing... unless you don't mind becoming Chinese food... charred and crispy." Inu Yasha smiled, sheathing the sword.  
  
*Rowwwww!!!!*  
  
Sesshoumaru was busy practicing some basic fighting techniques. He felt kind of stupid. When he was a youkai, all he had to do was slice and dice with his sharp claws using hardly any effort. But now, he was swinging his sword like a fool. 'Humph! Strengthen my muscles, she says. I'm perfectly fit, and yet it is not good enough for her! Wait, since when do I care what she thinks? Chikusho! Being human is making me soft!' he thought as he continued his sparring session.  
  
Suddenly, the ground beneath everyone rumbled, sending waves of pressure through the earth which split the ground open wide.  
  
"Is it an earthquake?" Kagome asked as she grabbed onto Inu Yasha.  
  
The hanyou sniffed the air. The scent was definitely a youkai. But, what kind of youkai could cause such damage? Whatever it is, it's big.  
  
"Everyone stay together!" Miroku shouted as he readied his staff to protect his friends. Once again, the earth beneath them rumbled louder as more land uplifted, along with bedrock and other buried sediments.  
  
Sango hopped on Kirara's back and readied her boomerang, Hiraikotsu. A loud roar could be heard... deep and fierce.  
  
Sesshoumaru smirked. "Inu Yasha, perhaps now's your chance to learn the bakaryuuha, don't you think?"  
  
"Ryuukotsusei?! What the hell is that dragon youkai doing here of all places??!!" Inu Yasha yelled as the creature rose out of the ground to tower at least fifty feet above the group. "The brother of Ryutaishou, whom our father sealed hundreds of years ago. The battle that ultimately ended his life..."  
  
"Uso! THAT is related to the dragon that killed the great Inu Taishou? Inu Yasha, I think it would be a good idea if we get the heck outta here now!" Kagome panicked.  
  
"S-Sesshoumaru-Samaaaaa!!!! What are we going to dooooo!!!!???? If even your father couldn't defeat one of these, surely you as a human and a hanyou..."  
  
"Jaken, urusei! I fully realize what kind of predicament we're in. And, Kagome, running will do us no good. Judging by the size of him, he'd crush us all in a matter of seconds. You see, his body is tougher than steel." Kagome and the others shuddered at the thought.  
  
Before anything else could be said, the great dragon Ryuukotsusei spoke up in a booming voice. "I smell it! The foul stench of Inu youkai blood in my territory! Especially the blood of that fool, Inu Taishou! The bastard that sealed my brother that fateful day." Steaming saliva dripped off the creature's jagged fangs as a low, menacing growl escaped from it's throat. Everyone noticed that there was a small face on the dragon's forehead that was actually speaking. The sinister creature's eyes were glowing red as it slowly opened it's mouth wider. A bright light formed as Ryuukotsusei prepared to release a huge ball of electric energy upon the unsuspecting group.  
  
"Inu Yasha! Do something before we all fry!" Kagome cried, fearing the worst.  
  
"Don't worry, I already see it... kaze no kizu," he said as he held the transformed fang out in front of him. "All I have to do is cut that spot! Quickly, everyone, run as far away from here as you can. I'll handle this as well as surpass my father!"  
  
"Inu Yasha, I'd help, but in this form, I'm of no real use." Sesshoumaru lowered his head, and Inu Yasha felt pity for him. "But, if you have any remains left after that beast rips you apart, I'll use Tenseiga to revive you."  
  
*Pwik*  
  
A stress mark suddenly appeared on Inu Yasha's forehead. "And I actually thought you were being humble! Keh! Just you watch. I'll tear Ryuukotsusei to pieces with my incredible fang! Ha, ha, ha!"  
  
"Osuwari!"  
  
"What the hell was THAT for?!"  
  
"You're not taking this situation seriously! Now get out there and fight before it releases that ball of energy and reduces us all to ashes!" Kagome yelled, causing him to wince. The girl certainly had a fiery temper...  
  
"Kagome, Rin, you two get on Kirara! The rest of us will run. Quickly!" Sango urged them on, leaving Inu Yasha to fend for himself. Sesshoumaru stopped and turned to face his half-brother one last time.  
  
"Ganbare, Inu Yasha."  
  
"Arigatou... Niisan."  
  
Then Inu Yasha turned to face the great beast. He gripped the hilt of Tetsusaiga tightly. True, he acted fearless in the face of his friends, but he really was afraid. Could he defeat such a powerful adversary without yet mastering his sword? He had no time to think. A light sheen of sweat was forming on his forehead as he focused on the rising scent of the kaze no kizu.  
  
"Playtime's over!" Ryuukotsusei roared as he released the ball of energy.  
  
"Kaze no kizu!!!" Inu Yasha shouted, unleashing the Tetsusaiga's power straight into the dangerous looking tornado-like youki energy that was rushing towards him. He was surprised to see that when his youki clashed with Ryuukotsusei's, many great tornadoes of youki formed, swirling rapidly towards the dragon. Was Tetsusaiga absorbing his youki and using it against him? Yes. He felt it! This was the key to the bakaryuuha! "Eat this, bastard! Bakaryuuha!!!"  
  
"Nani?! What is this incredible energy? Teme!!!"  
  
But before Ryuukotsusei could attack again, the youki tornadoes slammed into his body and began to rip him apart, causing him to release a blood curdling scream. Inu Yasha stared in disbelief, and felt immense joy and pride well up in his chest. He had not only defeated Ryuukotsusei without much effort, but surpassed his own father. He truly was powerful, even for a mere hanyou, and knowing that made him smile.  
  
"Now you can meet your brother... in hell," Inu Yasha said in a low tone as he turned from the pieces of the dragon's corpse and began to follow the scent of his group. "And to top things off, it appears that I can use the kaze no kizu whenever I want! Heh! I guess this trip was worth it after all."  
  
Later...  
  
"Inu Yasha, I knew you could do it all along! I had complete faith in you," Sesshoumaru joked in a mocking sort of tone. Meanwhile, Kagome ran up to the hanyou and gave him a tight hug.  
  
"I was so worried about you! We saw a huge explosion and I thought you were... you were... k-ki..." she began to sob into his haori.  
  
"Shhhh. It's all right. I'm fine, you don't hafta cry... silly girl."  
  
"Next time, we'll be of more help, ne? Now that you learned the bakaryuuha, we're one step closer to defeating Naraku. We should go back to Bokusenou tomorrow since it's getting late," Kagome sniffed, happy that her hanyou was back and safe.  
  
Miroku was busy gathering firewood with Sango, and the others prepared for a night of camping out under the stars. Kagome unpacked their blankets and some food.  
  
"Sesshoumaru... ano, are you proud of Inu Yasha? I mean, that he surpassed your father?" Rin asked, sitting down next to the man who seemed deep in thought.  
  
He looked over to her, the flames of the recently lit fire dancing over his dark umber eyes. Her breath nearly caught. He was gorgeous! She fought a blush as he finally replied, "I envy him. I always used to be the superior son of Inu Taishou. A great youkai lord... How ironic that a mere hanyou could be stronger than that of a full-blooded youkai. I guess in a way I've grown to respect him more."  
  
"When you become a youkai again, will you try to surpass Inu Yasha?"  
  
Sesshoumaru gave a small smile for but an instant. "I honestly don't know if I can, Rin."  
  
"That's all right. As long as you respect yourself, it doesn't matter how powerful you are. At least, that's what I believe."  
  
"For a woman, you sure do think a lot," Sesshoumaru said as he turned back towards the fire.  
  
"Was that a compliment or a criticism?" she asked, turning his face towards her with her hand. A bold move indeed, but at the moment, she didn't really care.  
  
"Rin..."  
  
Sesshoumaru fell speechless as he realized how beautiful Rin looked in the fire light. And to top things off, he seemed to feel an unknown force pulling himself closer to her until eventually they were both sharing the same breath, barely an inch away from kissing each other...  
  
"Oi! Let's eat guys!" Kagome exclaimed, breaking the two out of their trance.  
  
"Gomen, Sesshoumaru." Rin apologized quickly as she took her portion of food.  
  
'Why did she apologize? It was I who was moving in on her, was it not?' he thought to himself, suddenly feeling embarrassed to be caught by everyone. He had never felt such confusing emotions as a youkai. "It was nothing," he said simply, brushing Rin off, and not realizing that with those three words, he had hurt her feelings.  
  
"Oh... hai."  
  
That night, the group ate in silence, thinking of each other, their adventures thus far, as well as what was ahead of them. But they all knew for sure that unless Naraku was removed from the picture soon, there would be no future. Not for themselves or anyone else.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: The next chapter will be pure sappiness to pick up where this leaves off. More Sesshy/Rin and Inu/Kag to come! Ja ne! 


	16. Red String Of Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha and Co.... but that doesn't mean I can't borrow them for a while, ne? ^_~ All original characters belong to me, so ha!  
  
AN: Hmmm.... even though I said I'd write shorter chapters, I just can't seem to do it. Well, looks like I'll just stick to what I've been doing all along. Sorry I take so long to get out these chapters, but I'm the kind of person that can't write unless I'm in the mood. I get easily distracted, so sometimes I lose patience with the story, but I try to keep it going. I hate leaving things unfinished, and I will finish Nogareru even if it takes me a year. So, if you like the story, and keep reviewing, I will keep writing. Once again, I thank all my loyal reviewers, even if there aren't too many of you. Thanks for your support! ^_^  
  
Ite!- Ow!  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Fifteen~Red String of Fate  
  
That evening, Rin lied awake thinking about Sesshoumaru. How was it that he always managed to seem cold and indifferent towards her right when she finally gets him to open up a little? Could Bokusenou have been wrong about him? Maybe he forced himself to be nice to her just so he could use the Tenseiga. She turned over to look into the leaping flames of their campfire.  
  
~As long as the love is in thy heart, you shall be able to wield the Tenseiga. That is part of the key to the technique.~  
  
'That can't be right. Sesshoumaru didn't even know me when he used the Tenseiga to revive me. There was no real love there... it doesn't work that way. At least... I don't think it does. It must've been a fluke that the sword actually revived me back then,' Rin thought to herself, then turned her gaze to her slumbering companions, when finally her eyes rested upon Sesshoumaru's lean figure. He was leaning up against a tree, wrapped in warm blankets. He looked almost angelic as he slept. 'And to think that he said "it was nothing" when we nearly kissed! Maybe he's just toying with my feelings. Then again, he was a youkai and is constantly complaining about feeling emotions all of a sudden. Does that mean that he was emotionless when he was a youkai? But then, why did he let me live? He must've felt something, anything! And his father was a youkai... he loved a human woman. Love is an emotion... so, Sesshoumaru was obviously hiding his emotions since it's obvious that youkai have emotions too. I should know, since I've lived among so many of them in Kinryoku. Why did he try to hide his feelings? Arrggghhh!!! He's just too complicated to figure out!' Rin furrowed her eye brows, feeling like her head was spinning from all of her own questions.  
  
"I'll never get to sleep if I keep thinking so much. Hmph. He even told me that I think too much... the nerve!" she fumed quietly to herself, not wanting to wake the others. "I need a drink of water. That should set me straight."  
  
Slowly, Rin pushed the covers off of herself and stood up. If it wasn't for the blazing fire, she would surely have been frozen to death by the lowly temperatures of the crisp autumn night. As she crept slowly away towards a small nearby creek they had found earlier, she took one last look at Sesshoumaru. Just looking at his face again made all her anger dissipate. He seemed so... lonely.  
  
'Mou! Rin, now's not the time to fall for a cute face! He doesn't need any pity from me.' After scolding herself for being too soft, Rin continued on her way, making sure she had a small lantern to light the way.  
  
She eventually reached the creek and carefully hung the lantern on a low tree branch as she filled her boar skin water pouch that she had taken with her. Taking a few sips of the cold water, she felt alive again as the liquid traveled to her stomach and quenched her thirst. She then looked up at the sky, seeing a myriad of stars. It was truly beautiful... 'I wonder what those pretty lights really are? So far up in the heavens... Perhaps they are the souls of all the creatures that pass on, smiling down upon us. Heh, that's silly. I must be tired again.'  
  
Rin grabbed the lantern and quickly hurried back the way she had come, feeling chilled as the frosty night air nipped at her skin. Luckily, she was wearing a thick cotton kimono which provided her with some warmth. However, much to Rin's misfortune, she tripped on a branch that she could've sworn wasn't there before...  
  
"Kuso! Ite!" she exclaimed as she fell over onto the cold dirty ground, dropping the lantern which was quickly extinguished, leaving her alone in the darkness of the cold night. "Why do I have to be such a klutz?"  
  
Slowly, Rin stood up, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness. A light, as well as a deep, familiar voice startled her out of her thoughts, saying, "You should know better than to go off all by yourself in this youkai infested forest, Rin."  
  
"S-Sesshoumaru... I thought you were... "  
  
"I was merely resting my eyes, then I heard you shuffling past, so I decided to follow you to make sure you'd be safe. After all, I don't think your friends would appreciate finding you half-eaten somewhere. Come. Let us return to the warmth of the camp fire."  
  
Rin followed closely behind Sesshoumaru, once again thinking of his words and what they meant. So, he followed her to protect her? Nobody asked him to do it... and she'd been lucky that he did follow her, else she may have frozen to death unable to locate the camp with her poor human eye sight.  
  
"Sesshoumaru, ano... ," Rin wasn't sure what she wanted to say. She wanted to ask him so many questions, but knew he probably wouldn't want to answer. As they finally got to the camp, careful not to wake the others, Sesshoumaru motioned for Rin to sit next to him by his tree, securely situated between two large upraised roots. He put the covers over her and himself, noticing how cold he felt, and seeing Rin shiver slightly. Rin blushed a bit, but hoped he couldn't tell, even with the light of the fire illuminating her face.  
  
"Rin, about earlier today... "  
  
"Sesshoumaru, I... "  
They both stopped talking and just gazed at each other, somehow knowing what the other was thinking. Sesshoumaru then motioned for Rin to come closer to him, and she did so, shaking a bit from nervousness. He then wrapped his arms around her and held her in a warm embrace, nuzzling her neck, taking in what little of her scent he could with his human nose.  
  
"Rin, I've never held anyone like this before," he whispered in her ear, "and you probably have experienced love before, whereas I have not... until now. I was scared of these feelings, afraid that I'd become weak like my father, and so I denied them for as long as I could, but when I looked into your eyes today, I realized I was living a lie. I don't want to hurt you, like I did earlier, so I'll make it up to you by letting you know how I feel... "  
  
He pulled back a little to look into her deep, chocolate eyes once again. Rin looked as if she was about to cry... had he said something wrong?  
  
"Sesshoumaru... this is the first time I've ever felt like this... But, I thought you were just using me to use the Tenseiga... "  
  
Sesshoumaru knew where the conversation was heading, so he silenced Rin with a soft, yet searing kiss. Before either of them realized it, they were practically making love under the covers...  
  
"Se-Sesshoumaru, we'd better not... we'll wake the others," Rin whispered as she kissed him on the forehead. He was laying almost on top of her with his arms wrapped around her slim body. He placed little kisses on her neck that sent shivers down her back. She wasn't ready for this!  
  
"Gomen, Rin. I did go a little too far, didn't I?" He smiled a mischievous smile as he kissed Rin's soft lips one last time. "Just remember that I love you. I would never use you or betray you. The day I saved your life... I felt this odd emotion as I listened to you speak, on the verge of death. I never would've bothered with a human, but there's something about you that draws me to you. I... finally found you."  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, gently stroking his long midnight hair.  
  
"Ever since my father died, and I lived alone at the palace, maturing into the youkai I was, I was also lonely, hoping that someday I would find someone who would take me for who I was, not for the power and rank that I held in society. Most Inu youkai females only choose their mates based upon such things, since they crave the power and prestige. It is rare for youkai to truly love each other and be a loyal pair for the remainder of their lives... " A sad smile graced the man's face as he rested his head on Rin's shoulder. "Yet I also feared finding love, having seen the sadness that can come with it as I witnessed the tragic triangle between my parents and Inu Yasha's human mother. I wanted nothing to do with love after that. I vowed to be strong, and keep watch over the Western Lands until the day I died... but, do I really want such a fate? No. You saved me from it, Rin. Regardless of the fact that you are a human, you saved my soul from growing completely cold and indifferent. Perhaps the fact that I too am a human now has pushed me to the point where I face my feelings. Whatever the case, I just want you to know that I'm not as heartless as you may think."  
  
"I knew it all along. When I looked at your resting form earlier, I thought you looked so lonely. You don't have to be afraid anymore, Sesshoumaru. I'll never leave you."  
  
He mumbled a low 'arigatou' before falling asleep. Rin could tell he was tired... he took long, deep breaths, and Rin continued to stroke his hair until she too fell asleep.  
  
**********  
  
The next morning, the Inu Yasha-tachi awakened to a fresh new day.... full of embarrassment...  
  
"Come on Rin-Chan! You can tell me! What did you do with Sesshoumaru last night?" Kagome asked as she playfully nudged her friend in the side. "Did you two... you know..."  
  
"No! We didn't DO anything!" Rin blushed furiously, not realizing the redder she became, the less Kagome believed her. She had been found sleeping with Sesshoumaru... just sleeping, quite snug and secure in his arms... yet the others in the group had other ideas. As soon as Rin opened her eyes, she noticed them all looming over her and her new found prince. Each of them had funny grins plastered onto their faces, as if to say, 'Oh... so that's how it is. Look at the love birds!' With a startled gasp from Rin, Sesshoumaru too woke up to see the situation. He was anything but pleased at being caught so soon as to actually being in love with a human, but at the same time he was relieved that they all knew... that would insure that Inu Yasha and the Houshi knew Rin was his, and not up for the taking.  
  
Rin was snapped back to reality by Sesshoumaru's soothing voice. "Leave her alone. As she said, we did not do anything related to mating." And in the back of his mind he thought, 'Well... except for kissing.... and touching... '  
  
"Fine, I'll drop the subject... but when Rin gets pregnant, we'll all know the truth anyway." With that said, Kagome winked at Rin and left the two alone as she went to Inu Yasha's side. Rin blushed deep crimson at the thought. Even Sesshoumaru's pale complexion had a tint of red.  
  
Meanwhile, not any more than a quarter of a mile away from Inu Yasha and the gang, the teen aged kitsune, Yume, carried herself through the dense forest. Her mouth was dry, and her clothes were ripped and covered in dry blood in various places. Her face smelled of the many salty tears she had shed. After the tragedy at Saizen, she had nearly lost all hope to live, but in her half unconscious state, she envisioned a light of hope... there were others out there that also opposed the war and Naraku himself. If only she could find those individuals... then Kohaku's death will not be in vain. If she could only hold on to this hope and keep going...  
  
'I have to make it... I don't want to die. I have to live... if not for myself, then for Kohaku and Souta, and all the other Kinryoku villagers that died at Naraku's hands. I must hurry! I know the ones I seek are here somewhere... I can feel it! I just hope Kagura doesn't find me first...'  
  
Yume winced at the pain of the many scratches on her body. When she had regained consciousness, she realized that she had been caught. The wind user Kagura was standing over her, red eyes seeming to pierce into her very soul. The battle was brief, and in the end, Kagura decided to let Yume go, injured as the kitsune was from her deadly wind attacks. Perhaps she didn't want Naraku to get a hold of her... Something in Kagura's eyes held betrayal...  
  
Yume could sense things about people like no one else could. She was considered to be empathic, able to sense people's most hidden emotions. She instantly knew when people had good or evil in their hearts. She would feel a distinct throb of her youthful heart whenever she passed someone who was undergoing a painful time in their life, or she would feel joy when seeing children playing in the flower fields, free of troubles and innocent to the world. Her previous master had evoked a feeling of dread within her. He was cold, cruel, and detestable in every way. The day Yume became his slave was the day she closed herself off to the world... she would no longer feel the joy, the pain... only nothingness. She felt that she had lost her special gift, but now... now she was free! And as she discovered that she never lost her gift, she would use it as best as she could. She would find those whose hearts were set on ending the war and creating peace. Those who were not afraid to take a stand against Naraku. She would find them no matter the cost. She had to.  
  
Finally, she stumbled into the little make shift camp, badly dehydrated and tired. There before her stood the people that she saw in her vision. She could feel it in her soul. They were the ones she seeked... they could help her. She cried with unshed tears due to her physical condition. But they were not tears of sadness, rather, tears of joy.  
  
'Thank Kami-Sama!' she prayed as she fell to the ground, too worn out to introduce herself.  
  
Miroku noticed her first, hearing the distinct 'thud' sound as she fell limp to the ground. The others followed him to where the kitsune lay unconscious. Sango bent down to examine the girl's wounds when she suddenly recognized her face. A feeling of sickness passed through her stomach... much like how she felt a few days ago. It was the unnerving foreboding feeling that something was very wrong. Why was Yume here? And what on earth happened to her?  
  
"What's wrong, Sango, you look pale, " Miroku asked, noticing the taijiya's odd reaction.  
  
"Hurry. Let's help her out. Once she rests up, I need to ask her some questions..."  
  
Confused by what Sango meant, Miroku just nodded and helped bring the girl over to the soft bedding. Inu Yasha, Kagome, Sesshoumaru, and Rin all watched the scene unfold, then went about trying to help the girl.  
  
Little did they know how significant it was that she had found them.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: Whew! This took awhile to get out. I never have enough time to write because of school. It really sucks, but that's the way it is. At least I manage to keep the story going, ne? Well, please review! I'll start the next chapter ASAP, promise! ^_~ 


	17. The Tangency Of Hope

Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue. Bah humbug, I like stew! Yes! I am the queen of corny rhymes! Mwehehehehehe!  
  
AN: Yay! School's out, I only have one regents test left, and I finally have free time again! I can write once more ^_^. I'm so overwhelmed with joy you have no idea. 11th grade sucked so bad! Well, if you're reading this chapter I bet you're new to this fic since it has disappeared for so many months never to be seen on Fanfiction.net, buried in the deepest corner of this site under so many new fics only to be forgotten. But I have reemerged and I will finish what I started ^____^ Happy reading!  
  
Fujin no mai- One of Kagura's attacks with her Japanese fan, creating blades of wind energy that slices an' dices. Yummy!  
  
Nogareru~Break Away  
  
By Otaku-Chan ^_~  
  
Chapter Sixteen~The Tangency Of Hope  
  
Yume slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the light that was pouring in from a nearby window. It seemed she was in someone's hut, though she knew not who in her slightly dazed state. She felt a cool cloth resting on her forehead and various bandages covering her vast array of wounds. The air was pungent with the scents of medicinal herbs mingling with miso soup and fried fish. From her keen youkai sense of smell she knew it was carp, and her mouth watered. Only then did she realize how famished she was. Instinct took over, telling her to go to the source of the delicious smell and fill her tummy, however, when she sat up too abruptly a wave of nausea ran through her body, making the room spin around her. Quickly laying back down she sighed in defeat. It seemed like her fight with Kagura had left her worse for wear.  
  
The last thing she remembered before waking up in such a nice place was that she collapsed from fatigue and pain right as she saw the group of people she had been desperately seeking. She was lucky to have survived against Kagura's furious fujin no mai's and such, considering she was only an adolescent kitsune. Yume inhaled deeply, remembering that she had something important to tell the Inu Yasha-tachi... yet her confidence was low as she recalled the hideous events that took place at Saizen. Hundreds were slaughtered by Naraku; adults and children, human and youkai alike. Then there was Kohaku... and his friend Souta. She could feel the tightness in her throat emerge as salty tears brimmed the edges of her eyes.  
  
"H-How... can I tell them...?" she choked, when suddenly she heard a questioning voice.  
  
"Tell us what?" Kagome asked, entering the hut with a tray of food for the kitsune before her. She quickly put the food down and went to the girl's side, noticing her apparent distress. It seemed the girl was in a state of shock, for she began to mumble incoherently and sob in between gasps for breath.  
  
"Kohaku! Souta! No!" she cried out, arms stretched as if to grab onto them in her mind. Kagome started at the mention of her little brother's name. Her hands began to tremble slightly as the feeling of foreboding returned to her. Something was very wrong, and whatever it was, this girl knew. "Y- You've probably been doing all you can... to save... them... all of them...," Yume choked as her body seemed to convulse in pain, mainly mental agony, "...b-but they're gone... all gone..." Kagome felt her eyes sting as they filled with tears. She gingerly hugged the hysterical kitsune, trying to comfort her and make sense of what she was trying to say.  
  
Then Sango ran into the room, glad to see Yume was conscious. She knew something horrible had happened and she had to know what it was, so she asked, "What happened in Saizen, Yume?" The girl shuddered at the sight of her old friend... Kohaku's elder sister Sango. One of the most skilled Taijiya in all of Saizen. She had to tell her the truth....  
  
"Naraku murdered them all.... Kohaku, Souta, the villagers of Kinryoku.... I'm so sorry, oh Kami-Sama!" she wept. Sango and Kagome both stared at the girl, partly in sympathy, partly in shock of what they felt was true all along. Inu Yasha and Miroku slowly entered the room, having heard all the commotion from outside. Shippo and Kaede too had heard the bad news, the little kitsune then bursting out into sobs of grief. And lastly, Rin and Sesshoumaru entered, both looking a bit pale.  
  
Sesshoumaru embraced Rin in a tight hug as she too began to cry. She had lost all her family and friends just as Kagome had, and Sango with her brother. Kagome quickly ran out of the room, unable to conceal her true grief. The depressing atmosphere was strangling her, killing her. She had to get away. Away from the pain, if only for a moment. She couldn't bear to look into the Kitsune's eyes, or hear her other friends weep and moan in agony over the losses. She just wanted to be numb. No pain, no emotions, nothing. Her family was snuffed out like a candle's flame by that bastard Naraku. Everything was over, all she had been fighting for was not for a damn thing. Kinryoku was truly no more, as well as its inhabitants. Her legs moved swiftly as she ran as far away as she could, not caring if she would find herself face to face with a man-eating youkai. However, an upraised tree root soon sent her sprawling to the ground in a sobbing heap. Her heart was racing and she felt a wave of nausea. She felt a familiar presence within herself, screaming at her to get a hold of herself. She wanted to give into the voice, but she couldn't. 'Am I going insane? What is wrong with me?!' she raged within herself. Her very soul was in turmoil... and Midoriko was threatening to take control of her body in order to preserve her very sanity. "No! Leave me the hell alone! I don't need your help!" Kagome screamed, warding off the encroaching persona of the miko, her hands grasping her head and her eyes squeezed tightly shut.  
  
Meanwhile, Inu Yasha quickly chased after Kagome, hoping she wouldn't do anything foolish in her current state of mind. 'Damnit! Why did Naraku have to kill the villagers?! That evil son of a bitch! I'll rip his throat out, that bastard!' Inu Yasha fumed in his mind. He truly was itching to rip Naraku from limb to limb and watch him die slowly, in the utmost agony. He had hurt Kagome, and the others... maybe not physically, but sure as hell emotionally. There was no time left, Inu Yasha knew; Naraku had to be destroyed, and soon.  
  
The hanyou swiftly leaped and bounded through the forest, following Kagome's scent. The smell was full of anxiety and sadness. 'I promised I'd protect her, but now I don't know anymore... everything we've been trying to protect together is gone. Kagome, I'm so sorry... now you're all alone in the world, just like me,' Inu Yasha thought as he neared the thicket where he found Kagome lying quietly on the ground in a fetal position beneath an old ginkgo tree. 'But we do have each other,' he resolved as he stepped in front of her and kneeled down to run his fingers through her soft hair. She twitched slightly at his touch, curling up into an even tighter ball.  
  
"Leave me be, Inu Yasha."  
  
The hanyou felt a slight stab of pain at the harsh tone of her voice. He was there to comfort her in her time of need, and here she was telling him to get lost. He felt slightly dejected, but decided not to give up just yet. Perhaps if he talked to her he could get her to open up to him. It was worth a try. "Kagome," he began, then after receiving no reply, felt it safe to continue, "I know that you feel horrible, we all do, but life goes on. We all suffer losses in this life... that is our proof of being alive. Nobody comes out of it without any battle scars. I know you're pissed off at the world right now, but don't lose sight of your real enemy. It's Naraku, not me." Inu Yasha paused, noticing Kagome turn her head to glance up at him, stormy grey-blue eyes peeking through locks of jet black hair. Her cheeks were flushed from crying, and he could smell the salt of her tears. "Kagome... don't forget that you still have me," he added with a small smile. His eyes were calm and Kagome could sense his good intentions.  
  
She sniffled a bit before sitting up to fully face Inu Yasha. Her kimono was torn at the bottom from where it had snagged on the tree root, and she was slightly covered in dirt from the ground. Her sleeves were still damp from her torrent of tears. Pushing some odd strands of hair out of her face, she looked the hanyou straight in the eyes then said in a grave voice, "I'll kill Naraku. I'll take from him what he took from my whole family, and from the villagers." Her hands tightened into fists in her lap... squeezing together so securely that she winced a bit from the wounds she had made. Inu Yasha could smell the coppery scent... blood. He then grabbed her by the shoulders.  
  
"Get a hold of yourself! You can't beat Naraku on your own! That's just crazy Kagome!" he shouted, shaking her slightly as if to snap her out of a trance.  
  
"So I'm crazy am I!!??" she screamed. "Get your hands off me! I don't need your help or anybody's! Get away from me!" she twisted herself out of his grip, her voice cracking as she yelled at him. As she tried to get up Inu Yasha quickly grabbed her wrists, throwing her off balance as she clumsily tripped over the same tree root that got her down earlier, and pulling Inu Yasha down with her. He landed in a rather compromising position on top of her, their faces merely an inch away. Inu Yasha's heart was pounding from the proximity of this young woman... this woman he knew he loved. She was so beautiful in her sad state, as odd as that seemed to him. Her eyes were swirling with emotion and catching glimmers of the sunlight through the canopy of the tree they were under.  
  
They shared the same breath, and for that moment Kagome too became lost in his eyes, forgetting her anguish. There was only Inu Yasha before her, no pain and sadness... just the love she had found on one ordinary afternoon, before everything she ever knew was turned upside-down. She remembered how she first met the hanyou... she said 'sit' and he fell from the old pine tree at her feet. She remembered feeling his fuzzy ears and how comical he looked, blushing from anger and probably embarrassment. But now things were different. They knew each other now, and had gradually built a relationship from what started out as indifference and annoyance. She also remembered the first time she ever kissed him... his lips were so soft and warm...  
  
The gap was then closed between the two as they shared a sweet kiss that grew more passionate with the passing minutes. Kagome's arms were wrapped firmly around Inu Yasha, with his silvery hair flowing over them like a waterfall. His hands were also buried in her hair, feeling the smoothness of the silky strands. Their tongues intertwined in a erotic fight for dominance as the two melted into each others embrace.  
  
Eventually, they stopped the heated kiss in order to breathe. Kagome's cheeks were a beautiful rosy tint and Inu Yasha's were too. He smiled at her, knowing full and well that once this ritual was started, he would have to make sure it carried through all the way to the end... his instincts told him to do so. This would be his truest test of acceptance by Kagome. He nuzzled her neck gently and inhaled her unique scent. It sent shivers up his spine... the sensations of his body being pressed so intimately to hers, and that scent of readiness that indicated she was willing... or at least her body was willing...  
  
"Inu Yasha... " she breathed, her voice full of love... or was it lust? Inu Yasha hoped it was a bit of both, seeing as to how he himself was feeling such things. "I'm sorry for yelling at you... really, I don't know what came over me." He put his lips close to her ear and whispered a 'shhhh' to let her know that it was all in the past. Then he flicked his tongue across her ear lobe and began to trail tiny kisses along her jaw bone, finally capturing her succulent lips once more in another passionate kiss. The scent of her pheromones had intensified, making Inu yasha grow more aroused. He needed her, and she knew it. Kagome broke the kiss and looked the hanyou lovingly in his golden eyes. "Inu Yasha, I-I've never done this before... but, I..." she fumbled and fidgeted, trying to say what was on her mind, "...I want you." Her cheeks then turned crimson as she thought about what they were going to do, yet she wanted it. She wanted so badly to escape from the pain, if only for a short while. She loved Inu Yasha and would gladly give her innocence to him, the first and last love she would ever have.  
  
Inu Yasha shifted his weight slightly so as not to make Kagome uncomfortable, then he proceeded, guided purely by instinct and his love for her. He kissed his way down to her neck, licking the spot he would soon mark, making Kagome his official mate. "This might hurt a little, but I promise to be as gentle as I can," he reassured her when he sensed her tensing up. "This is what youkai do to mark their mates... once it is done, no one else can claim you as theirs."  
  
"In other words, this is the youkai version of marriage?" Kagome beamed, causing Inu Yasha to nod and smile. His smile was intoxicating, Kagome thought. He was so beautiful, almost ethereal in that moment. Then, lost in her thoughts, Kagome was suddenly snapped back to reality by a sharp, burning pain on her neck. Inu Yasha had opened her flesh with his fangs and was gleefully licking the blood that precipitated at the wound. He was suckling gently, helping the pain ebb away. Kagome moaned with pleasure, indicating that she was no longer in discomfort. Inu Yasha smiled again as his hands began to travel over her body. His eyes were searching hers, searching for any uncertainties. There were none.  
  
The two spent the rest of that seemingly miserable afternoon in the throws of love and passion. Neither caring about their problems. Naraku, the tragedy at Saizen, and everything else meant nothing for that precious moment they spent with each other. It was an escape from pain, but also a sealing of a bond that would never be broken. They both knew that they would never be alone from then on because, no matter what, they would have each other.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
AN: Phew! I'm good at avoiding the lemon stuff, ne? Just in case younger people are reading this fic....^^;; Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it ^_^ Please review! I'm still aiming for 100! 


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